Ahmad Mallah

“Starting from my own skin and going through different technics, I immersed myself in a long journey in search of my identity as a Palestinian artist who was born and raised in Syria before the war once again forced me to flee on another asylum journey, until I arrived in the Netherlands in 2014. My art is an exploration of the body, war, diaspora, identity, gender and belonging. Through my interdisciplinary art practice, I represent my personal experiences as being stateless for a long time. I do not belong to a specific place and time; for me belonging is a dilemma of our existence, a state of emotional and intellectual flux between our human desires for safety and freedom. This flux formulates our contemporary identity and deeply influences our humane fate.” 

Mallah’s work has travelled among plenty of groups and solo art exhibitions at the Chassé Theater in Breda, at Electron in Breda, SDL ART Gallery in De Kromhouthal in Amsterdam, ALL INN Gallery in Het Hem in Zaandam, Landhuis Oud Amelisweerd, exbunker solo exhibition in Utrecht in November 2021, Art Nordic 2022 International Fair in Copenhagen and others. in 2022 The artist received the Mondrian fond stipendium for Emerging Artists “Young talent stipendium ” in NL. 

Artist Statement 

…The walls have ears Ahmad…’, my mother used to say. In Syria parents tell this often to their children. 

It is a phrase that all children have been raised with. 

‘The walls have ears’, or, don’t speak up about politics or freedoms you have a right to as a human being. Freedom of speech is a taboo in Syria. So, I was silent. I’ve always felt trapped between these ‘listening walls’ and I have even been imprisoned between 4 walls during the revolution in Syria. 

My past is the inspiration behind my work. I’ve started capturing my stories in art and language, in order to share them with people. 

After being brought up with the concept that ‘even the walls have ears’; it was a difficult but incredible journey to choose and express myself to the extreme. In art. 

By painting and portraying I observed my fears. My sorrow. My frustrations. Creating art helped me to heal my soul and mind. 

I am the maker and I am the artwork. And even though the walls have ears, I am silent no more.

Photo credit: Dik Nicolai