Joha – The Journey

Joha explores the themes of loss of identity, home, diaspora and overcoming the physical and psychological boundaries created by conflict, specifically in his own personal story of growing up in Palestine.

Joha – The Journey opens up an imaginary, parallel space in which to consider ideas of place, identity, climate, economical, political slopes and belongings.

Mohammed Joha

Mohammed Joha was born in Gaza in 1978 and graduated in Art Education from Al-Aqsa University in 2003. Through mixed techniques of collage, painting and photography, much of his work has explored the questions and experiences of childhood, and the loss of innocence and freedom experienced by the current generation of children in Gaza. He was winner of the A. M. Qattan Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year Award in 2004. He has been selected for workshops and residencies in Amman, Jordan and Cites des Artes, Paris.

Besides participating in exhibitions worldwide, he had his first solo exhibition, Dreams in Black and White, at the Mosaic Rooms, London, 2011. Most recently, his ambitious project, The Jasmine and Bread Revolution, was shown in 2012 at The Courtyard Gallery, Dubai as well as exhibiting at Rich Mix, London as part of Despite, 2012, Traces and Revelations, Oriental Museum – Durham University 2014.

The private view featuring “Watan Trio” classic (muwashahat and maqamat) and popular Arabic music of the mid-20th century, the programme will include a selection of instrumental and vocal pieces from historically interconnected cultures in Palestine and from the wider Middle East.

The Trio includes

Saied Silbak, a highly respected composer and master of the Oud

Elias Farsoon, a renowned singer and Qanoon player

Iba` Abu Khalaf, an established percussionist and singer

Afterwards DJ Faisal Hamdan who will play an hour of his collection of Old Vintage Arabic Vinyl Record Albums.

Independent curator : Aser El Saqqa

Please join us for the Open House on 3 February, 6pm.