The exhibition presents Fatima Abu Roomi’s recurring preoccupation with self-portraiture over two decades as an evolving theme, in which the fabrics and textiles that envelop and cover the protagonist, or are placed next to her, play a key role. The juxtaposition of these works, produced over the years, invites us to observe, experience, and think about the artistic moves—in terms of both style and content—that collectively have contributed to Abu Roomi’s image as a groundbreaking artist. The spectacular beauty of her works is part of the representation of the complexity of her life as a Palestinian woman in Israel, while at the same time revealing the power of resistance that bears the stamp of love.In a series of paintings from recent years, Abu Roomi has depicted her figure carrying rugs and fabrics or standing in front of them, some extending across the canvas, others rolled up like the columns of a temple or as unbearable baggage on her back. Her gaze, withdrawn and focused, forms part of a painterly practice that blurs the clear-cut distinction between image and background, a common motif in Abu Roomi’s early paintings. At times, the rug or fabric depicted serves as a substitute for her own image, as a kind of self-portrait harboring the traces of a private and a collective biography. It is a self-portrait that reflects the conditions and materials from which life is woven, in private and in public, in the domestic and social spheres. Abu Roomi’s works attest to her life in the first person. Being “close to herself,” she stages her testimony to represent the socio-political-gender reality lying behind the veil of reality that is perceived as fact. Abu Roomi’s meticulous paintings, produced with thin brushwork and a severe and Sisyphean work discipline, refer to what lies beyond: that which is glimpsed in the consciousness of the artist and of the viewers, tapping into their cultural memory and their own positioning on the timeline of the conflicted history of this country. Abu Roomi opens a dialogue portal for anyone willing to discover the threads that bind together her preoccupation with self-portraiture and textile imagery, inviting a contemplation of identity and memory.
Curator: Yael Guilat Read more
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