Amale Freiha Khlat
MA work
MA work
The Perilous Journey
My work aims to capture the perilous journey undertaken by refugees fleeing their war-torn countries in the Middle East, and travelling across land and sea with the hope of reaching safe ground, and starting a new life. Leaving one’s homeland is not easy, with family members and possessions left behind. There is a feeling of helplessness, and a sense of being totally uprooted, as evidenced by the bare and dilapidated wooden sculpture on display. The route to safety is full of danger, with injuries along the way. The video gives a good sense of the difficulties of the journey, and the individual testimonies of war speak volumes to the terrible living conditions before leaving. The amber resins, in the form of mushrooms, also symbolize blood and violence. The Mousharabieh screens, which are prevalent in traditional Middle Eastern homes, symbolize on the one hand the homes that these refugees have left behind, but also, and more importantly, create a barrier between the viewer and the refugee, which can be eliminated once viewers enter the space of the installation, watch the video, examine the sculpture, absorb the sounds and take-in the whole experience.
Info
Info
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MA Degree
School
School of Arts & Humanities
Programme
MA Print, 2018
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Contact
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My most recent work has been focused on denying the apparent banality of the spectacle of war that surrounds us on our screens. Through various forms and objects I have translated my memory of war by creating installations using video, sound, sculpture and print to portray conflicts. I have selected this format because I am truly fascinated by how we perceive, feel, think and frame the space that distances spectators from the realities of war.
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Degrees
- Sculpture Diploma from the Heatherley School of Fine Art, London, 2010; MA (high honors) from Penninghen, école supérieure d'arts graphiques, Paris, 1995
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Experience
- Education Art project, Through the Eyes of a Child, Garden House School, Saatchi Gallery Education Projects and Workshops, 2011; Graphic/web designer and journalist, Dar Assayad, Hazmieh, Lebanon 1995-2012
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Exhibitions
- Hold your horses, hold them and never let them go, CGP Gallery, London, 2018; So Many Things Happened Today 2, Kingsgate Project Space, Millimetre 02, London, 2017; Bapor Tabo(o), Art Licks Weekend, London, 2017; Network, RAGE Collective, MOVEMENT, Worcester, 2017; Odious Smell of Truth, RAGE Collective, Hockney Gallery, RCA, London, 2017; Freshly squeezed, CGP Gallery, London, 2017; Work in ProgressShow, Royal College of Art, London, 2017; Through the Eyes of a Child, the Saatchi Gallery, London, 2011; Battleground for the never-ending tussle between the past and the present, The Heatherley School of Fine Art, London, 2010; Lebanon the Artist’s View 2, Cork street gallery, London, 2004; See life differently, The Life Center, Holland Park Underground Station, London, 2003; Être, gallerie Rochane, Beirut, Lebanon, 1996
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Awards
- Finalist, Arte Laguna Prize, Nappe Arsenal, Venice, Italy. 2011; Finalist, LVMH Young Artists’ award, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France. 1995
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Conferences
- Artist talk/guest tutor, Camberwell College of Arts London, 2018