Doaa Badran, Rahmi Hamzi, Suma Kaedan and Yara Qassem Mahajena | Gallery of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design MFA and Al Markaz Contemporary Art Gallery, Jerusalem

“Vow” focuses on the representation of female goddesses in pre-monotheistic creeds from the Near East. The work of Doaa Badran, Rahmi Hamzi, and Suma Kaedan explores the themes of womanhood, domesticity, and religion, and how these intersect with ancient myths and rituals. Badran's work raises questions about the relationship between religion and blind faith, and the role of women in religious tradition and practice. Hamzi's work combines sexual and religious symbolism to reflect on the taboos of religion, such as the sexualization of gender. Kaedan's work explores the relationship between humans and the natural environment, and how this relationship is shaped by societal and cultural norms. The exhibition suggests continuity in the convergence of various attributes of womanhood and challenges traditional gender roles of power and creation through the use of botanical references, domestic objects, and natural imagery.

Full exhibition text: ⤋ English