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In her first solo show with Wusum Gallery in Doha, Qatar.
Damascus-born painter Hala Aljaafari (born 1988) explores the relationship between memory and imagination at the intersection of reality and fantasy. Unchained Memories presents 16 oil paintings that continue Aljaafari’s exploration of the human psyche, particularly examining humans’ reactions to memories, whether those that come to mind spontaneously and without effort, or those dearly longed for and dreamed of.
Attempting to portray moments during which humans are confronted by their past, whether involuntarily or deliberately, Aljaafari blurs the lines between memories and daydreaming–two concepts significant to her oeuvre and at the core of this body of work. Interrogating this dynamic, she probes the painful yet often necessary question: at what point are her characters ready to move on with their lives without revisiting these memories? Or, if choosing the opposite and adhering to them, what is the price of such decisions?
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