As a child growing up in Baghdad, Beirut, and later Riyadh, Saudi Arabia my experiences oscillated between enchantment and disenchantment. There was much I loved, accepted and relished about the culture I grew up in, and there was a lot that made me rebellious and angry. I would not be in the Arab world for long, because a deadly civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1979, forcing us to escape the danger of rockets, sniper bullets and terrifying bombings. I would never return to my home to Beirut, as not long after our escape, our home would be destroyed by an Israeli bombing raid which wiped out our home and everything in it.
Luckily, I made it to safety by leaving for the UK in 1975 and continued my education, far away from the chaos, madness, death and destruction that had fallen the region. A 17 year war would ensue that would ravage the beautiful country and the people of Lebanon. And a few decades later, Iraq would be devastated by the US invasion and occupation, which in many ways took the country back and killed over a million people; as well as creating a massive immigration crisis out of Iraq.
Even though it has been over 40 years that I left the region , in my memory is etched images and sensations of my homeland, dotted with ornate dome-shaped mosques with their elaborate interiors, tall minarets that glimmered from near and far. The ubiquitous but always haunting sound of the call to prayer that permeated skin and bone. Mystical doorways down hidden alleyways in the myriads of markets/souks; feelings that would never leave me. Sounds, sights, smells of the food, the music, the undulating belly dance added to the unique memories I hold till this day.
Returning to the Middle East after an 18 year absence, sparked a renewed awe, wonder and inspiration in me of the culture where I was born and raised. A deep desire swelled inside me to share its unique beauty and its many beautiful treasures with my fellow Americans and westerners, as well as with the many Arabs living around the world who have also forgotten the value of their heritage in an attempt to adjust to their current environment, often hostile to anything Arab or Muslim. This desire tugged at me especially after the tragic events of 911, when I recognized the importance of sharing my work.
Art in its many forms is a passion I have pursued with great fervor for most of my life. I have been an artist for over 25 years. My first art pieces were simple drawings in felt tip pens borrowed from my sons pencil box, which later led to commissions for the covers of music CDs in the US and Europe, and then came some solo and group exhibitions around the world: San Francisco, Marin County, London, New York, Dubai, where several pieces of my artwork fill the walls of the entire 60th floor of the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
After the 911 tragedy, I created a series of exhibitions highlighting different aspects of the Muslim and Arab world that aimed at showcasing a different country, beginning with one of my favorite countries that lies in the far western border of the Arab world: Morocco. This exhibition and body of work was entitled The Magic of Morocco. (See Gallery)The second of the series highlighted Egypt, and it was called The Mysteries of Egypt.The third of the series was on the Levant: Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, and it was called Everyday Enchantment. These exhibitions emerged from my many visits to these countries, where I show images of some of the most ancient cities in the world , now sadly ripped apart by civil wars. I speak of Syria.
After that came an exhibition entitled Women Who Bear, highlighting the plight of women the carriers and bearers of the burdens of society along with their own personal burdens to include the natural one of childbearing and child rearing. The images I present are from India. The subject of what a woman has to put up, tolerate and accept within a chauvinistic society, east or west is one that continues to be of great relevance today, especially with the # ME TOO movement around the world, where woman are standing up to say: Enough is Enough!!
My latest inspiration is in mixed media collage works reflecting the ancient and still surviving tribes of Africa and Oceania, highlighting the beauty and the dying wisdom of these cultures and their traditions. This upcoming exhibition entitled: Honoring Our Ancestors will be shown in 2020 in the Bay Area and beyond.
Other than the sheer joy of creating and connecting on deeper levels with my Soul, my desire with my artwork is to reveal the everyday humanity and dignity of the lesser known peoples of the world. As well as the beauty and enchantment enfolded in the layers of antiquity, the richness and variety of colors, textures and sights that are so different to what we see in the West, but serves to enrich and broaden the senses. My goal is to offer a different perspective and point of view of these people that are often viewed as alien and therefore easily dismissed, feared and disrespected. It is my hope, as a bearer of these images from East to West, that they act as beacons, illuminating these too often misunderstood cultures, religions and regions, replacing the fear, anxiety and distrust that seems so prevalent, with a greater sense of understanding, appreciation and perspective about the vast world we live in—-Halla Ayla