Comfort in between - Rawan Maraqa
Rawan Maraqa ( Jordan )
This project is a painting series that visually interprets comforting Arabic phrases spoken during times of uncertainty and transition; phrases like "هانت" (it’ll pass), "حصل خير" (it happened for the best), and "الله بعوض" (God will make it up to you). Through the artwork, the series explores the emotional ups and downs of being inbetween stages in life, translating these expressions of comfort into a visual language. The paintings incorporate elements of Arabic calligraphy, delving deeper into its poetic and aesthetic qualities. Alongside painting, photography captured throughout the city of Berlin weaves urban stories and movement into the project, grounding the work in real life contexts. By bringing these traditional expressions into contemporary visual forms and public spaces, the series creates a bridge between cultures and emotions, embodying softness, belonging, and hope amid uncertainty. It invites both Arab and non-Arab audiences to feel the presence and power of Arabic through art.
This residency takes place as part of “لسة / not yet / still,” a regional project in the field of visual arts, initiated by the Goethe-Institutes in North Africa and the Middle East and implemented in cooperation with ZK/U – Center for Art and Urbanistics.