Rula Halawani, A Key from Traces series, Photographic print and calligraphy on paper, 2013, Set: 68 x 144 cm, Calligraphy: 29.7 x 21 cm, Edition of 5 + 1 AP
‘I don’t want to talk about politics’, a short brunette repeated time and time again as she discussed art with two other women with heavy accents – their loud voices reverberating through the small gallery. It took me some time to realise that the woman in question was no other than East Jerusalem born artist, Rula Halawani (1964). Traces, her third photography exhibition at Selma Feriani Gallery in London’s Mayfair is deeply intriguing and represents both a continuation of as well as a break from Halawani’s Traces series of 2007. Whilst her previous show depicted the ground surrounding the separation wall cutting through Palestine and was an altogether more sombre affair, Traces in its current form breathes fresh air and a glimmer of hope into the stark conditions of Palestinian refugee camps.
Inspired by Halawani’s conversations with refugees forced to move home in 1948, the exhibition features eight complete works; each consisting of photographs and an accompanying framed text in Arabic about the owner of the photographed items and about an object itself. The earthy toned photographic prints with a vintage feel display humble household items, presents from friends or perished family members, official documents and photographs which make up this web of life that had to be left behind. As Halawani explains in the press release:
Most refugees cherish their items, which not only fulfill a decorative function but also serve as reminders to their children of their ancestral homes, thus preserving their identity, from one generation to another.
