The series of photographs are a living image for families looking for replacements for electricity cuts in Gaza, in 2012. The project attempts to reflect on the exceptional emissions of light in the urban scape along with greenhouse and fossil fuel gas smells and loud sounds of generators outside houses. This series stemmed out of an earlier project titled “Light” that the artist produced 2 years ago, it was a painting series that explored similar issues.
“SHAMBAR” is the oldest replacement for light that works on kerosene; it has been enhanced in Gaza to work on natural gas which is the cheapest among other resources and could be used in houses, shops and even carried on trips.
The process of Research “Exploring”
During the eight hour night cuts of electricity in Al-Bureij area in the middle of the Gaza strip we moved around houses and different public spaces to document what people do during those hours and how they attempt to keep their routine. We recorded terms that the inhabitants use about the situation. Their testimonies oscillated between anger and frustration and on different ways of dealing with the cuts, for example; women change their day around to accommodate the cuts by doing house cores like washing and cleaning at night, or following a certain soap opera. Also small shops and factories accommodate their schedules to match the cuts where sometimes they work by day and other times by night.
Mohammed Abusal Biography
Mohamed Abusal was born in Gaza in 1976. Although a graduate in finance and management, he retrained as an artist in 2000 and attended many workshops and has undertaken much research to develop and refine his artistic skills.
Since 2000, he has worked at a prolific rate producing daring and innovative work which has attracted great publicity and garnered much critical acclaim. Projects have included Metro in Gaza (2012) and Shambar (2013) – both of which are great concepts comprising installations, designs and photographs -that deal with the reality in besieged Gaza and envisioning a brighter future – a future that is not only plausible but a fundamental human right.
Painting remains his first love and it is where he retreats to recharge and create beautiful work.
Mohammed Abusal has exhibited extensively around the world over the last decade, notably in France, where he has held several solo exhibitions, in addition to the US, UK, Australia, and Dubai. In 2005 he was awarded the Charles Aspry Prize for Contemporary Art. He is a founding member of Eltiqa an active group of contemporary artists that came together in 2002.
Abusal’s stoic manner and diligent approach – in style and technique – make him one of Palestine’s brightest talents.
Website: https://abusalmohamed.com/