Palestinian artist Malak Mattar presents her new solo show "Falasteen" at Central Saint Martins, featuring works created during her MFA that respond to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The exhibition marks a synthesis of her earlier vibrant style and the stark monochrome she adopted after Israel's latest assault, with colors cautiously returning alongside themes of hope, resilience, and freedom. The show includes large-scale paintings, a concertina book, and new techniques like photo transfer and collage, including her 2024 painting "No Words," a black-and-white mural recalling Picasso's "Guernica." This is the first solo show by a Palestinian artist ever held at Central Saint Martins.
This exhibition matters because it positions Mattar's work as a definitive artistic response to the genocide in Gaza, demonstrating how art can bear witness and convey trauma while maintaining a note of hope. Mattar's experimentation with abstraction and new techniques reflects a shift in her practice driven by personal experience of displacement and loss, raising broader questions about the role of art during genocide and the solidarity the art world should offer. The show's institutional setting at Central Saint Martins underscores the growing visibility of Palestinian voices in contemporary art.