Elegiac Whispers: Lines on Grief
This discursive exhibition brings together lettering artists from across the Arab world and its diasporas who give visual form to verses of modern and contemporary poetry concerning grief. It is an ode to Arabic and its expressive capacity, both verbally and aesthetically, at a time when the language itself is experiencing a gradual, lamentable withdrawal.
A prelude to the multifaceted project Elegiac Whispers, which explores the elusive character of Arab grief, the exhibition affirms the role played by Arabic, and the many forms its letters can take, in capturing specific ways of processing and communicating loss over this vast region. More specifically, it launches an inquiry into the conceptual, emotive, and metaphorical dimensions of poetry, as well as the additional layers of meaning, often overlooked, that the script alone evokes.
The word for poetry in Arabic, shi‘r, transcends the stylistic and rhythmic structuring of prose. It also stands for knowledge – the poet, sha‘ir, has historically been considered an inspired figure with superior insights. Poetry for Arabs constitutes a privileged oral realm, a conduit for the culture’s psyche, matched only by the exquisite refinement of calligraphy. In this exhibition, the lines written by Arab poets meet the lines drawn by fellow artists.
Artists
The exhibition features works by artists: Abdulrahman Hashlamon, Eman Fikri, Ethar Elaagib, Farah Fayyad, Ghalia Elsrakbi, Hala Al-Ani, Haneen Nazzal, Khawlah Alshaibani, Kinda Ghannoum, Mahmoud Abdelghany, Mohammed Ameer, Muharam Hassan, Muiz, Nassim Azarzar, Nour Zahabi, Mohammed Tatour, Tawfiq Dawi, Walid Bouchouchi, Yehia Moldan, Zeina Ahmad Taha.
Acknowledgements
Curated by Amin Alsaden
Special thanks to those who made this exhibition possible: Yasmin Huleileh, curatorial assistance; Abed Alrahman Shabaneh, programming oversight; Naji El Mir, graphic design; Haifa Abualnadi, translation; iPrint, production and installation; Diaa Jubeh and Mohammad Balawneh, installation support.
Information
Venue: A. M. Qattan Foundation, Ramallah
Opening: 19 January 2026
Press & inquiries: Media@qattanfoundation.org