Born in Palestine in 1980, Hazem Harb is a visual artist who has
lived in Gaza, Rome and the UAE. He received his MFA from the
European Institute of Design, Rome in 2009. He identifies as a
painter, although photography has been a persevering interest
since childhood. He is inspired by academia, architecture and
European art traditions; matters that negotiate complex social
and cultural relations. His art combines photographic collages
and drawing. Harb draws his subject matter from the history of Palestine: heritage and power dynamics. Intrigued by the complexities of memory: selective memory, lost and mutilated factualisation, the artist steers away from romanticism, favouring the sheer impact of truth telling; knowing his homeland’s important history is depreciated by fanciful nostalgia. He was awarded a residency at The Delfina Foundation, London; Cite des Arts, Paris and Satellite, Dubai. Harb’s work is in the collections of the British Museum, Sharjah Art Foundation, Centre Pompidou, the Oriental Museum Durham University, Salsali Private Museum and Al Qattan
Foundation among others.
