Sentiments

Today, our work relies on mobilising mutual aid to transform our region into what we want. Engaging in and supporting community efforts to increase the quality of life for our people are often at the core of our work today - as they should be. But what future are we really fighting for?

Since 2019, Aram Sabbah has worked with SkatePal – essentially covering all the work that happens on the ground in Palestine. He enjoys the beautiful message that skateboarding sends to both society and those involved, and also watching these new spirits and inspirations unfold within Palestine’s youth.

Founded by Patrick Gemayel, most commonly known as P-Thugg as half of Montreal based electro-funk duo Chromeo, Ya Habibi Market is the new online souk designed to empower creatives from the middle east and give back to the region through its philanthropic message.

Arsheef is based in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, and is curated by Ibi Ibrahim and Lizzy Vartanian. Launched in November 2019, the gallery exists to put Yemeni art on the map and change the mainstream discourse about the country. While hosting artists and also opening the space to the public, Arsheef has nurtured both creatives and art enthusiasts alike in Yemen.

Dedicated to an artist-centred approach of cultural preservation, the space nurtures the talent of the region. Latifa Abdul Rahman Al Khalifa has curated Imprint: an exhibition of film, photography and digital arts comprising 17 artists from Saudi and the Gulf.

They curated this event to highlight three dynamics that it shifts between: trace, memory and nomadic displacement, with a focal point always returning to women. In Retrospective, the veiled woman is one of the main pieces to capture the eyes of viewers and hold them, as they gaze through a spectacle that has transcended time yet connects us all.

Following the Beirut explosion on August 4, Chedid retrieved her surviving paintings in her apartment on Armenia Street while architect and commissioner Sari Koussouf repaired The Slow; the stars aligned for the debut of The Lavender Edition, a painted series created by Chedid through impressing lavender stems on off-white paper using Indian ink.

Pointing out that illustration has and continues to be a great way to advocate for mental health, be it subliminally or directly, El Hariri conjures up many interesting themes throughout his work. Inspired by Mother Nature, Magick and capturing nostalgic moments, the artist’s illustrations portray a new world of beautifying the small things in life, that we so often take for granted.

Younes Bendjima, an athlete-model-creative agent from Lyon, France has paid a visit to his heritage in order to inspire his latest collaboration with New Balance. A sweet balance of warm tan and black elegance in both mesh and leather, these shoes present a simple, stripped down vision of Algeria’s diverse landscape.