Edna Al-Najar

Lives and works in Berlin

Artist statement

Hidden words of history that form a poem, old photos that soon fade, and wistful stories of the elders in the family. Is it the only thing that still gives a true view of lost times? Perhaps there is a world in which the real past blurs with wishes for the future. To create a desired vision of tomorrow. I try to find this world in my artistic work. In some moments I see the here and now and myself as a time mirror. Child of the diaspora, muslim hijabi woman, carrying the echo of my parents' trauma of war, injustice and occupation. Living now here where western politics seem to dominate. Own challenges begin to arise. My origins and history and personal aspects as an approach to getting even closer to this world. And sometimes I touch it and time seems to shift. By using various media such as sculpture , video / video animation, painting and photography , in my work I not only want to create artistic statements, but also narrative journeys through imaginary worlds based on real experiences and historical events, combining with personal memories, impressions, and cultural symbols. What could have happened? What is reflected in everyday life? How could something beautiful come out of suffering? And how to criticize the origins of today's grief, and injustice? A kind of fictitious resistance that could shake up the real world, by exploring themes such as resilience and the invisible threads that connect the past and future, an attempt to bridge the gap between the experienced...

Artwork