Outside In by Ica Wahbeh (July 2004)

EXUBERANT COLOURS, A multitude of somewhat disciplined geometrical shapes, the evocation of windows promising to open onto an unknown world, bold lines or tiny, delicate images make up Ghada Dahdaleh’s latest works, on display at 4 walls.

Suggestive of ethnic handiwork-regional carpets or embroidery on women’s costumes, or patchwork on quilts elsewhere – the frames transport the viewer to different worlds, being as universal as they are local.

The artist’s distinctive, ascending, linear progress is clear, her search for inspiration rooted, at least now, in the dwellings of her country people.

“I still visit the camps. Every time I see something different… I look for different things. This time, it was the corrugated iron roofs,” says Dahdaleh, and looking at the amazing paintings, it is difficult not to see the connection.

Parallel lines are at all times part of the intricate pattern of her works, a stylized outline of these famous roofs.

Painstakingly drawn lines that move freely or meet to form squares, rectangles or triangles suggest, throughout her latest works, some opening – window, door – promising a world beyond the immediate one, drawing the viewer closer, making him wish to cross the threshold and get to know what lies behind.

The sensible discipline of the lines is not, however, monotonous repetition. If anything, it is an energetic rendition of life and color. The paintings are given movement and depth by the dots, random lines or scribblings of some sort splashed here and there on the canvas. These minuscule scrawls could also symbolically represent the havoc played by time, nature and man on matter: Rust on the corrugated iron roofs, marring graffiti, crumbling walls of houses not repaired in ages.

Playful and discrete, these lines and dots draw the eye, interrupt the regular geometrical patterns and give life to the artworks.

The colors might have been inspired by the camps, but the artist’s imagination and skill enriched their array, presenting a rich palette of astonishing hues. Rich maroon, olive green, teal, turquoise, pink, ochre, yellow, red, purple, green in all imaginable shades… they are many and in nuances too difficult to name.

The paintings could be easily taken for wall tapestries; they present an amazing style and represent an astonishing artistic accomplishment. Meticulous in details, masterful in technique, the works tempt one to touch, feel, make sure they are paint on paper and not some heavy weaving.


The combination of patterns is varied and imaginative. Each frame offers a different perspective and stirs the imagination in a different way. The riot of colors is expansive. The eyes barely stop to contemplate a frame before being drawn to the next. When grouped together, the works pose a dilemma: Which does one like most; how does one compare, when each stands out on its own?

The white-painted wood frames elegantly encase the paintings. The richness of detail, the amount of work obviously spent on creating these remarkable artistic representations,
speak of love, meticulousness, discipline, dedication.

Dahdaleh’s monoprints, water-based inks on paper, are a mature transition from her last period. The horizontal lines, she says, mark a new phase in her artistic life. The works are “borderline between old and new”. In this latest stage, the paintings are less outlined, giving the artist more freedom to “get out of the square in terms of composition and be free” to express herself. The paper shows here and there; this white space provides more room for the viewer’s imagination and more freedom for the artist to manoeuvre.

The previous elements of Dahdaleh’s works are still there, only more developed, with bolder colors, making a more powerful statement: Here are her people and she finds inspiration in their life.

The exhibition will run through Aug. 31, offering a fresh, cool alternative to the hot summer days.