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Statement on Sister Series of Drawings and Paintings
My sisters and I assert ourselves strongly into each other’s daily lives. We are in constant contact with photographs of what we eat, postcards when we are not on vacation, and daily text messages just to make sure we are still alive. However, all of this constant communication does not make up for the fact that we live in three different states and see each other twice a year. So, I draw them—obsessively. I catalog moments of action, affection, and annoyance by drawing them on handmade papers that have personalities of their own. The handmade papers add to the sense of movement, but also add an element of color that sets the tone for each drawing. They are meant to be viewed in groupings—I may only have two sisters, but sometimes they feel like one hundred. ----------------------------------------- As a Palestinian woman born in the United States, my work reflects the experience of never having truly been home—of awaiting some unknown beauty—of longing for a place that is alive only in my mother’s eyes. My paintings and drawings document my own existence and the existence of a culture that is often denied, either through direct portraiture of my own family or a more abstract depiction of patterns and colors to resurrect beautiful memories and replace a much harsher reality. The textural combination of fabric, wood, wood stains, acrylics, ink, charcoal, hand-made papers, and dried plant materials create images that reveal a story over a span of time. Through this layering, the pieces become an imprint and a record—at once nostalgic and historical. ----------------------------------------- An Essay by Chris Khoury, written for my Solo Exhibition at Cuentos: As I stare at the work of Hanah Diab, I immediately get lost in an intimate and sometimes awkward and uncomfortable world she brings to light in her paintings. While not confrontational, she pulls the viewer into her personal world, that of her family, and the imagined serendipity conveyed in the titles and imagery. Her sister Nisreen purses her lips for a kiss in “smokeless fire” while Yasmeen looks upward and away against a stark metallic background asking “Would you still love me if I broke your finger this way?” In “The Gift,” another portrait of Yasmeen, the plaintive subject is saying “khuth” (Ar., “take”) as she gestures toward a shiny magical orb. Hanah’s art invited me in with the welcoming warmth of the best Arab customs. But once inside, a feeling overcame me that I must confront my own personal wounds and conflicts with those so dear and close to us, as family or otherwise. Her work reminds you that you don’t have to be alone, but that inside humor shared by sisters and a silent glance can be uncomfortable and comforting at the same time. Her ink drawing “Borders” best distills this sense of quiet emotion and tender embrace. There is nothing absurd about her work; instead, each piece has its own mood, governed by her media choices and techniques ranging from gold leaf, handmade papers, to washed out backgrounds that simultaneously color the skin. But please don’t take my word for it, try to imagine for yourself… Christopher Khoury October 20th, 2007 Columbus, Ohio |