Essmat Zaid

The idea for this work began more than ten years ago with more than a decade of wandering and exploration, as my feet took me to many places across the geography of this country. At every step, I used to meet new people, whom I came to know, and in which invisible bonds have grown, through which I explored my urgent need to cross into a mysterious nature that surrounds them, where valleys, plateaus and plains lay, and just then I would touch their challenges that impose themselves on their daily lives as if they were ancient spells that tell their stories.

Through this work, I try to imagine the impact of the restrictions imposed on the movement of the Palestinian humans by invisible barriers and what they result in from deep interactions within the self. In an experience of this kind, I am dominated by a constant sense of vigilance as I come into contact with the souls of those I encounter, realizing that resilience and persistence prevail, as I move between fragmented worlds. This work reflects the geopolitical complexities of the post-Oslo divisions of the West Bank, as areas A, B, and C emerge as distinct territories, with buffer zones as unfamiliar locations and military training zones as mythologized territories.

3 Paintings, Acrylic on Canvas 30x20 cm.