REVIEWED: Rula Halawani: Traces


By Martin Macdonald 
‘I don’t want to talk about politics’, a short brunette repeated time and time again as she discussed art with two other women with heavy accents – their loud voices reverberating through the small gallery. It took me some time to realise that the woman in question was no other than East Jerusalem born artist, Rula Halawani (1964). Traces, her third photography exhibition at Selma Feriani Gallery in London’s Mayfair is deeply intriguing and represents both a continuation of as well as a break from Halawani’s Traces series of 2007. Whilst her previous show depicted the ground surrounding the separation wall cutting through Palestine and was an altogether more sombre affair, Traces in its current form breathes fresh air and a glimmer of hope into the stark conditions of Palestinian refugee camps.

Rula Halawani, A Key, 2013             
Photographic print
Set dimensions: 68h x 144w cm
Edition of 5
Traces series
Courtesy of Selma Feriani Gallery, London

Inspired by Halawani’s conversations with refugees forced to move home in 1948, the exhibition features eight complete works; each consisting of photographs and an accompanying framed text in Arabic about the owner of the photographed items and about an object itself. The earthy toned photographic prints with a vintage feel display humble household items, presents from friends or perished family members, official documents and photographs which make up this web of life that had to be left behind. As Halawani explains in the press release:
Most refugees cherish their items, which not only fulfill a decorative function but also serve as reminders to their children of their ancestral homes, thus preserving their identity, from one generation to another.

In other words, each piece can be considered a portrait of an individual but they are really much more than simply that - the works approach the political imaginary of Palestine in an altogether more personable and humane manner than what Westerners normally get to see. Halawani’s photographs thus become heroic symbols of the Palestinian people and their unceasing wish to one day be allowed to return to their original homes. A Key (2013), for instance, shows various items which Thurayah Farah, a 67 year old originally from Zakariyya village and presently living in Al-Arrub refugee camp, holds dearly. These items include old letters, pepper mills and a key. In the framed text, Farah explains:
When we fled, my mother locked the door to our house with this key. She thought that in a few weeks we would come back to our house. Many years went by and we still did not return; we keep this key and we pass it from one generation to another so that our children will never forget where they are from, and they will always remember that they have a beautiful home waiting for them to go back to. This key is a symbol of our heritage and our return to our homeland, the land of our ancestors...

Rula Halawani, Wedding Dress, 2013             
Photographic print
Set dimensions: 68h x 144w cm
Edition of 5
Traces series
Courtesy of Selma Feriani Gallery, London

Wedding Dress (2013), on the other hand, comprises images of a dress and a child, a basket with yellow roses, earrings and something resembling an old gas hob or lamp. It tells the story of 85 year old Hakemeh Yunis. Originally from al-Manshiya village, she has also been re-settled in a refugee camp. She points out: 
When I was made to leave my village with my family, I took this dress with me. I could not have left home without it, it meant so much to me. I sewed this dress with my friends for my wedding. Those were such beautiful days. I love this dress because it reminds me of my village and my friends. I can still remember when we all sat together under the trees in the warm sun singing and making this dress…

Rula Halawani, Land Registration Documents, 2013             
Photographic print
Set dimensions: 68h x 144w cm
Edition of 5
Traces series
Courtesy of Selma Feriani Gallery, London


Land Registration Documents (2013) includes kitchen scales, a wicker ornament and as the title implies, land registration documents themselves. The items belong to Ahmad Muhammad Al- Ajarmeh, a 37 year old from the village of Ajjour who lives in the Abed refugee camp. Al- Ajarmeh explains:
In 1948 my parents were displaced from their hometown. The Israelis were shooting at people in the village. My father, as well as most of the villagers who were able to flee, took with them only the registration documents for their houses and land, hoping they would someday return. My father told me that the night they fled they didn’t even have time to put their shoes on. They climbed mountains in their bare feet, which started to bleed from the rocky terrain. They spent that night sleeping on the rough ground. They were told that they could go back to their homes one week later. Until today, 65 years later, we haven't been able to. We are still refugees living in refugee camp.

Rula Halawani, Framed Keys and Train Whistle , 2013             
Photographic print
Set dimensions: 68h x 144w cm
Edition of 5
Traces series
Courtesy of Selma Feriani Gallery, London

Hence, although Halawani may not wish to speak about politics in general or simply to the two women she was having a conversation with, it is clear that her work is intensely political. After all, how does one photograph Palestinian refugee life whilst fully avoiding politics? Framed Key and Train Whistle (2013) even includes what appears to be a bullet hole in a wall. As a result, perhaps there is no need for Halawani to talk about politics - Traces does it for her!


RULA HALAWANI: TRACES. SELMA FERIANI GALLERY, LONDON. 12 Apr -11 May.