To be close, closer brings together works by six Ghawazi artists: Mosab Abu Toha, Amal El Nakhala, Nadine Hajjaj, Shareef Sarhan, Heba Zaqout, and Maysaa Zaqout. Drawing upon recollections and dreams, they confront visions of destruction and reconstruction, of the pain and joy seeded in their ties to Gaza. Through sculpture, printmaking, painting, drawing, and writing, these artists engage in lively ways of creating, both personal and passionate, that are deeply rooted in the steadfastness to create as a form of resistance.

During this painful time, in which we have witnessed 10 months of relentless genocide in Gaza, To be close, closer strives to bring recognition to the perspectives of these artists and to build deeper connections between them, their practices, and the broader Cincinnati community. The six artists whose work is presented in the exhibition offer opportunities to explore the reality of this time for Gazans, sharing in-between moments that simultaneously touch upon the surreal and the literal.

Evident through their explorations are deep connections to the land and the sea. The land becomes one with humanity, and through these works, we perceive its beauty alongside the devastation of the current moment. “We are its salt and its water. We are its wound, but a wound that fights,” wrote the late poet Mahmoud Darwish. While each artist reflects upon and responds to the moment in individual ways, To be close, closer brings them together to assert their shared and embodied connection to this Palestine, and to the freedom on its soil that we yearn for.

Until liberation.

To be close, closer is made possible by Artswave’s Catalyzing Impact Grant Program and the community at Cincinnati Palestine Solidarity Coalition

100% of all works sold will go directly to the artist or their families.