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Plunging into Dreams and Memories with Hala AlJaafari

Wusum Gallery is currently showing Unchained Memories, works of Hala Aljaafari, a Damascus-born artist who delves into the relationship between memories and imagination. We speak to Hala Aljaafari to understand her work and the layers behind it.

Through Wusum Gallery, we have been privy to a wide-range of artists from the region and specifically from Qatar which certainly inspires, informs and encourages the bourgeoning art community in Qatar.

In her first solo show with Wusum Gallery Damascus-born painter Hala Aljaafari delves into the relationship between memories and imagination at the cusp of reality and fantasy. Her work makes one stand still and observe because as we observe intently, we find figures embedded sublimely into the canvas.

Hala Aljaafari with Elina Sairanen, Gallery Director, Wusum Gallery.

Hala is an interior designer who was always talented in the field of art right from her childhood but could not pursue it to her hearts content. When Covid struck and the world came to a standstill, she turned to her first love of painting and discovered herself yet again.

She decided that she expressed herself in the true sense through her works on canvas.

“It was during this period that I realised that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she says.

Hala says that pursuing art is not a trivial hobby, “Art requires a lot of time, to think, to dwell in our thoughts and to finally come up with colours and forms to express our inner thoughts. It is a full-time job in itself.”

Beginnings in Dreams and then moving to Memories

Hala with her family at the opening of the exhibition.

Unchained Memories presents 16 oil paintings continuing Hala’s exploration of the human spirit, particularly examining humans’ reactions to memories, whether some come to mind spontaneously and without effort and those dearly longed for and dreamt of.

Instead of precision, Hala creates an expansive space in her paintings, allowing fantasy and reality to blend. In order to portray the different emotive stages of her characters, she habitually refers to the different kinds of companion animals, relying on the strong connotations these creatures often carry with regards to feelings such as anger and happiness.

On the canvases, Hala paints not only characters but also the characters’ reactions to their inner worlds. In this analogue, then, the memories may become faithful pets and peaceful companions or wild creatures and beasts, encouraging viewers to consider who, ultimately, has control over their subconsciousness. The animals reflect the subconscious and the emotions that accompany memories and is often left to the viewer to make peace with the situation depicted, to decipher and to find their perfect explanation, which might reflect the emotions of the viewer at that particular time.

“I started with dreams and specifically in this exhibition, I touched on memories. Our memories and how animals take the shape of the emotions that we go through. Animals reflect our reactions to the memories; whether the memories dominate us, take control of us or whether we tame the memories to our needs,” she says.

The Way of the Painting

Hala’s process and final outcome becomes mysterious and equally fascinating as she makes us analyse each of her work.

We ask Hala for her technique and whether she depicts herself in her canvas.

“I do start with some initial sketching and some planning of the final outcome. I start with a theme and a memory and sometimes, the final painting becomes more than what I planned for and takes a life and theme of its own,” she says.Hala’s paintings are mostly large sized canvas. “I prefer large canvases,” Hala says looking at the large ones that take up the curved display wall of Wusum.

“The time taken for each painting differs, depending on the size, the colours used etc, but I do spend a lot of time on the painting once I start,” she explains, “I do not sign a painting until I am sure I am satisfied. There have been occasions where I hide my painting and then come back to it to finally give it what I needed and thus complete the canvas.”

Hala wants people to find their inner hidden selves as they look at her painting, as if her work is a call to awaken the inner deep thoughts that we keep concealed.

While Hala does follow and admire artists from the region, her inspiration comes from everyday life, from small moments, from stories, from nature and the world around.

We invite more art enthusiasts to Wusum Gallery and engage with Hala’s memory board, let their guard down and interact with their emotions and find the perfect story behind each of Hala’s work.

All Images are Courtesy Wusum Gallery