Afterwards (2017–2022)

Overview

Jawad Al Malhi’s multidisciplinary practice reflects upon the Palestinian social fabric, illuminating cyclical human movements and daily routines in East Jerusalem. Afterwards (2017–2022) features desaturated figures struggling to orient themselves in the glare of an unseen public space. Ledges, cars, doorways and lightly demarcated urban elements populate the paintings, emphasising the subjects’ displacement. The shadowless environments expose the unique physicality of the represented figures and highlight the transient gestures of waiting. The epicentre of the action seems just beyond the frame, leaving the audience watchful and uneasy, like the depicted figures.