Art Plans For New Year’s Eve: Hunna Art Presents ‘Lilies’ by Reem R.

by Sophie She

Art Plans For New Year’s Eve: Hunna Art Presents ‘Lilies’ by Reem R.

27 Dec 2024

Yesterday

Hunna Art, in collaboration with Bayt AlMamzar, recently unveiled "Lilies," the debut solo exhibition of Palestinian artist Reem R. held until January 5, 2025, at Bayt AlMamzar in Dubai.

Reem R.’s hyperreal oil paintings engage themes of beauty, memory, and resistance, inviting viewers to confront illusions embedded in imagery and narratives.

There is something about it, when you are looking at these pieces, as if you are holding that particular child’s drawing or you are about to bite an orange from a still life. Reem R.’s style is truly magic.

Curated by Océane Sailly, "Lilies" transforms the symbolic beauty of the flower into a reflective lens. The works explore nostalgia, identity, and resilience through motifs like crumpled paper, fragmented self-portraits, and childlike drawings inspired by the artist’s homeland, Palestine. Through these, Reem R. demands audiences to reckon with loss and challenge the authenticity of visual representations.

In an exclusive conversation, both curator Océane Sailly and artist Reem R. shared their insights into the themes, inspirations, and creative processes behind "Lilies."

— Reem, Lilies are a recurring motif in your work. Can you share how this flower became a symbol in your artistic narrative, and what personal meaning it holds for you?

Reem R.: Lilies have become a deeply personal symbol in my work, a constant reminder of home. The first time I painted lilies was four years ago, after a conversation with my mother about the orange lilies she had brought into our home. As their scent filled the space, I was struck by their beauty and the details of each lily. Their unpredictability and the way they unfold captivated me, and I knew I had to capture that in a painting. For me, lilies are more than just a visual element — they evoke different senses. When I paint them, it is as if I can almost smell their fragrance, making the act of painting them a sensory experience in itself.

Reem R.

— Océane, you describe "Lilies" as a poetic act of resistance. How do you see this theme resonating with contemporary audiences, particularly in the context of a Dubai-based exhibition?

Océane Sailly: The exhibition's theme of resistance — both subtle and poetic — invites audiences to engage with beauty as more than an aesthetic experience. Reem R.’s hyperreal lilies, alongside motifs of oranges and crumpled paper, act as metaphors for confronting illusions and uncovering hidden narratives.

In a diverse, cosmopolitan city like Dubai, where so many stories of migration, memory, and identity converge, the exhibition creates a space for reflection on personal and collective histories. It speaks to those grappling with questions of belonging, the fragility of memory, and the tension between preserving the past and moving forward.

The layers of Reem R.'s work, from her intimate depictions of nostalgia to the profound grief captured in drawings inspired by children from Palestine, challenge viewers to look beyond the surface. This challenge feels especially potent in a place like Dubai, where cultural narratives are constantly being reshaped.

— Reem, your work often reflects the fragility of memory and the tension between holding on and letting go. How does this duality influence your creative process?

Reem R.: Often feel that my inner child is present in every piece I create. Each painting in my solo exhibition is tied to a childhood memory. The act of painting allows me to revisit these moments, which are both fragile and elusive, capturing the tension between trying to hold on to the past and the inevitability of it slipping away. This balance of memory and loss is something I continuously explore, as I try to preserve those fleeting moments through my work.

but these are not scribbles; get away from me; with my whole heart

— Your hyperreal oil paintings blur the lines between reality and illusion. What techniques do you employ to achieve this effect, and what message do you hope to convey through this approach?

Reem R.: I have been exploring the trompe l'œil technique for a few years now. There is something captivating about deceiving the eye, creating the illusion of tangible objects that prompt viewers to question the authenticity of what they see and the reality they assume. This idea resonates with how I have been viewing the world lately — nothing is ever quite as it seems. By adding a layer of playfulness and nostalgia, I aim to invite the viewer to connect with familiar elements, to feel as if they could almost reach out and touch them. It is an illusion that tricks the senses, offering a brief moment of doubt about what is real — something that, for me, is both thought-provoking and engaging.

— The works inspired by children’s drawings explore themes of innocence juxtaposed with grief. How did you select these drawings, and what emotional impact did recreating them have on you as an artist?

Reem R.: I find it interesting how children’s drawings that have experienced wars, occupation and genocide, from the same age range, often share similar themes drawings. I started this series when I came across a drawing that had crying trees. The moment I saw it, I knew it had to be documented. It saddens me to see children drawing destruction, fire, and amputations instead of innocent things like pink flowers. Recreating these drawings has been an emotional journey for me. It made me reflect on how childhood is shaped by the world around us and how grief can sometimes be an early part of that experience. These drawings remind me of the innocence lost, and they resonate with the vulnerability that we carry with us.

— Your paintings invite viewers to engage their imagination and draw personal interpretations. Have any viewer responses to your work surprised or resonated deeply with you?

Reem R.: One particular painting, which features the words 'I love you Mom,' has evoked a response that truly resonated with me. A viewer shared a deeply personal story about her father, who passed away when she was a child. Years later, while going through his belongings, they found a letter that said, 'My dear father.' It was a moment that echoed the emotion and depth of love that my painting aimed to convey. To know that my work can evoke such profound memories in others is both humbling and deeply moving. It reminds me of the power of art to connect us through shared experiences, emotions, and memories.

lilies and lies; lilies and lullabies

— Océane, what do you hope audiences will take away from this exhibition?

Océane Sailly: I hope audiences leave Lilies with a heightened sense of awareness — both of the beauty in the everyday and the deeper truths that beauty can obscure. Reem R.’s work invites viewers to pause and confront the illusions embedded in memory, identity, and representation. Through her canvases, audiences are encouraged to reflect on their own attachments to the past, the weight of nostalgia, and the resilience found in acts of remembering.

Most importantly, I hope the exhibition fosters empathy. The drawings inspired by Palestinian children’s experiences transform innocent imagery into vessels of profound mourning and anger, offering an unflinching look at loss and injustice. These works remind us of the universality of grief and the need for collective resistance against erasure.

Ultimately, Lilies is a call to resist forgetting, to question what lies beneath the surface, and to carry forward the stories and fragments of the past with courage and care.

by Sophie She