Gil Mualem-Doron / In-Between. Photoshoot with Samir Hazzan Hazzan a Palestinian / Israeli Parkourist, a free-runner, and film's stuntman. The series of work can be view on www.a4community.com and more info about Samer can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/parkour1988
SEAS – Socially Engaged Art Salon, Brighton Part of Brighton Artists Open Houses. Saturdays & Sundays MAY 2016, 11:00-18:00 Private View 07/05 14:00-17:00 Venue address: 2 Steine Gardens, BN2 1WB
A part of Brighton Artist Open Houses, a new space for socially engaged art and an artist residency is going to be launched a minute away from Brighton Dome – all in the small cottage of the artivist Gil Mualem Doron, who moved recently from Brixton, London to Brighton.
Displacement – the first SEAS exhibition will be dedicated to issues of refugees, homelessness, Palestine and social justice. The exhibition will include prints, drawings, paintings, photography, agitprops, installations, and short films, workshops, and talks. Most of the works in the exhibition are for sale and some of the income will go to establishing an artist residency in SEAS.
Participating Artists: Bern O’Donoghue, Deborah Haines, Eitan Bronstein (De-Colonizer) Estabrak Al-Ansari, Gabriela Schutz, Gil Mualem Doron, Heba Rezk, Hong Dam, Manel Deep, Zita Holbourne and others.
Manal Deeb (Palestine / USA)
Media: Digital Art
"Paintings in one’s dreams, denote the passing of time (memories), advancing of years, and the days of one’s life. As for a Palestinian in exile, paintings in a dream mean reunion with the family and the beloved ones in the homeland “Palestine”.
Manal’s three digital artworks represent dreams, memories and persistence. An attempt to interpret the known versus the unknown of finding home, self, identity, and the challenge it presents in the creation of art. The content and narrative behind each piece construct a visual metaphor for how Palestinians are, form generation to generation, overlaid with their lives and circumstances. Digital collages are intricately layered with forms and digital textures to suggest originality, homeland and belonging. The artworks suggest the creation of self at homeland and within the old City of Jerusalem in peace and harmony.
Manal’s family history in Palestine:
Manal is originally from Dir Tariff, a town outside Lud, in the 1948 land. The town does not exist physically anymore, but continues to exist in the family’s history and minds. In 1948, Manal’s grandparents were forced out of Dir Tariff to reside in a camp around Ramallah. Since then the family resided in Ramallah, Palestine and Manal was born there in 1968.
Heba Rezk (Syria/UK)
Media: Oil Painting, Drawings
"I came to the UK and Brighton after my husband run out to England because the war in Syria. l studied Art and Sculpture for two years. I used to draw or paint pictures and I used to volunteer with children who have learning disabilities or mental display"
Zita Holbourne (London)
Media: Painting, Performance
Zita is an award-winning visual artist, curator, poet, writer, author and community and trade union activist.
Zita is the curator of the Roots Culture Identity touring art exhibition, she has a solo exhibition at the Women's Art Library in London Art, Sexism, Racism, and Resistance.
She has exhibited and curated at a broad range of venues and events across London. Her art is regularly used in political and campaign posters, leaflets and adverts.
Her new book of poetry Striving For Equality Freedom and Justice was launched in April this year at the TUC Black Workers Conference and the first limited edition sold out in 48 hours.
Zita is elected to the TUC Race Relations Committee, the Public and Commercial Services Union National Executive Committee, the Action for Southern Africa National Executive Council . She is the co founder and National Co-Chair of Black Activists Rising Against Cuts and for the past year has been coordinating humanitarian aid convoys to refugees in Calais and Dunkirk.
Zita campaigns for equality freedom justice humanity and rights through art, poetry and activism.
Zita was a finalist in the ITV Southbank Arts Show twice, a finalist and one of 5 People's Choice poets in the Manorlogz Xtreme Spoken Word Contest, won the positive role model for race award at the National Diversity Awards, was listed as one of the top 12 African and Caribbean Women of the year and is one of 14 women featured in the book Here We Stand, Women Changing the World which won the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing in 2015.
Bern O'Donoghue (UK)
Media: Mix Media
Bern O'Donoghue is a UK artist born in Liverpool, who is currently based in Brighton, working in London and the South East of England. She combines her own visual practice with her role as artist educator. Her personal practice is rooted in narrative, experimental drawing and painting, For the last six years through three projects, DearDaveandNick, Dead Reckoning and Refugees Crossing, Bern has explored the power of words to change or shape perception and how art can be the catalyst for change in one’s local community and the wider world. Dead Reckoning and Refugees Crossing, the work currently on display at SEAS#1 Displacement bears witness to the deaths of an estimated 3,771 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 in an attempt to reach the safety of Europe. Bern's work challenges viewers to engage with the issues and myths surrounding migration.
Estabrak Al-Ansari (London / Muscat, Oman)
Media: Photography, Performence, Film
an Iraqi blooded former refugee, Persian born, London raised Middle
Eastern Visual Artist and Film Maker currently based between Muscat, Oman & London, UK.
With an arts background in Central Saint Martins and a Masters in film & media
production, she is by nature; a storyteller.
Estabrak's works are generally fueled by the concepts of existing in places we
cannot exist for long periods of time, something well represented through the
use of water. This use of water based elements blends concepts of reality and
fiction and is representative of the cultural discourses that steer the being
and becoming of collective consciences. her latest multi-disciplinary collection
'Consciousness'looks at the relationship between the body and oneself, poking at
questions relevant to our contemporary existence. Subject matters run between identity,
memory, culture, equality, gender, tradition, environment and understanding..
She has recently been awarded 2nd prize for her 'Omanis Under Water' limited edition
photographic series as well as partaking with her unique LPP work at the 6th Marrakesh
Biennale 2016.
She has currently been shortlisted for both the International Emerging Artist Award 2016
based in Dubai and The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in London, UK.
Hong Dam (Viatnam / UK)
Media: Digital Art
Hong’s work is a journey of self-discovery. It explores the universal themes of love, loss, separation and hope. She uses images, words and materials that remind her of the past to bring together the different facets of her childhood memories. As a child who had to flee her homeland as a refugee her work embraces the feelings of her personal hopes and dreams. Her artistic use of colour, shape and form enhances the great tradition of storytelling, fusing the east and west cultures.
Her life and work is very much interlinked. I tried to sum up Hong's work in one single word, so I can categorise her work, but I found myself failing to do so. Therefore, I will leave you with some of the words and phrases other people have used.
“Conceptual, symbolic, narrative, surreal, fascinating, haunting, thought provoking, beautiful, moving, environmental, as if the images are speaking to you, capturing the duality of the world”.
Hong (b.1970 - Vietnam) graduated with a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art Sculpture (1994) followed by a MA 3D Computer Visualisation and Animation (1996). Since then Hong has worked as Digital Artist on major Feature Films including: Babe Pig in the City, 10,000 BC and Ridley Scott's epic film - Gladiator. Her personal work has been exhibited in various prestigious galleries such as: The Mall Galleries (London), V&A Museum of Childhood (London) and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery (Maidstone).
After her MA, Hong left the art world to focus solely on Visualisation for film. But in recent years, she could not suppress the urge and passion to continue in telling her story before it is too late!
Text By Fungi Murau
For more info see: www.hongdam.com
Artist: Gabriela Schutz (UK/Israel)
Media: Drawing, Painting, Etching
''The view of Gaza during Iron Dome' etching on paper, edition of 25, 20x25cm, 2015.
In the Holyland series, I am looking at how the architecture and demography of a place reflects on its social, cultural and political agendas. Looking at Israel as an Israeli who no longer lives there, I am attempting to view the subject as Romantic painters viewed and depicted the Holy Land, and explorers of the Enlightenment period attempted to record the world as accurately as possible. With the curiosity of an outsider but with the insider’s knowledge of what to focus on, the seemingly pastoral works reveal the strong emotions and tensions.
Sarah Elton, Lonly Wolf.
Part of the Charity Sale for Hummingbrid
The Eucharist (2016)
Gil Mualem Doron
A series of 5 Porcelain plates printed with digital collages depicting the themes of the plight of refugees in the Mediterranean and the colonial past of Great Britain. The plates are placed on reclaimed wood found on the shore and accompanied by gold plated fish knife and fork.