AHMED KHALIDI
‘GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM’
26 November to 15 December 2013
Ahmed Khalidi’s exhibition documents the journey of the artist from Palestine / Jordan to Australia and back again, confronting the dilemma of where to call home. In the form of mixed media paintings, the artist explores the idea of belonging and identity, are they relative and changeable depending on one’s geographical location?
The work delves into memory, childhood experiences, family photographs and stories as well as recent political history. Ahmed reflects on the different emotional and physical journeys he has gone through, going back to the 1950s and drawing on his family’s own struggles. The exhibition is a continuation of the question of our identity being a reflection of where we are which was initially explored in his recent Australian exhibition, a collaboration with his wife Rua Hashlamoun, ‘I Was Not Born Here …But She Was …’ in reference to their daughter, born in Australia.
‘Go Back to Where You Came From’ is a simple phrase that signifies a return to your roots. It becomes more complex when the place you came from has changed socially and politically, as Ahmed has discovered, placing him in a position to observe from a distance – a stranger in the familiar. It is a nostalgic journey, and a journey of discovery, which can be both enlightening, disturbing or hopeful, but always revealing.
Ahmed Khalidi
Jordanian artist, designer and illustrator, Ahmed has worked on a number of projects ranging from online media, motion graphics, publications and illustrations in Sydney, Adelaide, Amman, London and Doha. He has participated in the International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Spain, Salon of Contemporary Artists – Portugal, The National Art Gallery and Darat al-Fanun, Alliance Française in Jordan. His previous exhibition at Jacaranda Images was a collaboration with Karin Mayer called ‘Urban Exchange’ in 2011. He currently lives in Australia with his wife Rua and daughter Yafa who constantly inspires him.
