Born in Gaza in 1980, Hazem Harb is a Palestinian visual artist who has participated in various group exhibitions worldwide. He relocated to Rome for his MFA from the European Institute of Design in 2009, and then to the UAE. He currently resides between Rome, Italy and Dubai, continuing to showcase his art internationally. Harb mainly identifies himself as a painter, although photography has been a persevering interest since childhood which he continues to pursue. He draws his inspirations from academia, architecture, and European art traditions as well as matters that speak on complex social and cultural relations. He consistently makes it a point to highlight social issues in his works, navigating the commentary of war and politics from which he has experience first hand.
His art mainly consists of photographic collages, acrylic paintings, mixed media and drawings. Hazem Harb draws his subject matter from the history of Palestine. Fueled by personal insight and inspired by heritage and power dynamics, his works touch his experiences and recollections. He is often intrigued by the complexities of memory and its selectivity. He portrays subjects of lost and mutilated memories, thinking back to his experiences in his homeland where youth is impacted by the shadow of occupation.
Hazem Harb typically steers away from romanticism, favoring the sheer impact of truth-telling. He is aware of his homeland’s important history and attempts to prevent its depreciation by fanciful nostalgia. Harb seeks to keep in touch with its reality and history, never steering away from factual circumstances.
Harb was awarded a residency at The Delfina Foundation, London; Cite des Arts, Paris and Satellite, Dubai. Hazem 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 A.M. Qattan Foundation among others. He has set up many solo exhibitions. He has also participated in several group exhibitions, Art Fairs and Art Biennials around the world, such as Art Dubai 2022, Art Berlin 2018, Abu Dhabi Art 2014, 2013, and Eyes East Bound, Cairo Biennale 13.