Syrian visual artist Randa Maddah’s solo exhibition, Hanging Gardens, currently on display at Tabari Artspace in DIFC, delves deep into the landscapes and emotional complexities of her homeland, the Golan Heights. Maddah, who currently lives between France and Syria, uses her art to explore the liminality of her existence, caught between two worlds. Her work, inspired by the picturesque yet politically charged Golan Heights, juxtaposes serene landscapes with the feeling of being in-between—emotionally, geographically, and politically.
The exhibition features lush, verdant paintings that reflect the natural beauty of Golan. With earthy tones, Maddah’s art encapsulates a rich sense of belonging, blending human figures with nature to express the connection to the land that many in her community feel. “Growing up in a politically tense atmosphere, where nothing can be certain, this is the connection, the only connection I can be sure of, that I have control of—my dedication to the land,” Maddah explains.
Maddah also recalls the emotional toll of living in an occupied territory. With her family divided between the Syrian and Israeli-controlled regions of Golan, communication was once limited to shouting across hills with megaphones.
This unique experience of closeness and separation is a central theme in her work.
Her art captures these contradictions—fragmentation, displacement, and resilience—presenting them visually as floating, fragmented figures entwined with nature. These figures are both part of the landscape and separate from it, a reflection of Maddah’s ongoing relationship with her homeland. Despite her physical distance from Golan, Maddah remains emotionally anchored to the land, stating, “It’s impossible for me to leave Golan…my stories are connected to the nature of Golan.”
In addition to exploring her homeland, Randa Maddah’s exhibition highlights themes of trauma and collective memory. Her work navigates the blurred boundaries between history, personal experience, and the universal human connection to nature. Each piece conveys the struggle of holding onto identity in the face of displacement, political conflict, and loss. Maddah’s use of bold, contrasting colors not only represents the beauty of Golan’s landscapes but also evokes the tension between past and present, memory and reality, reflecting the complexity of her journey.
