The Tent
65 cm x 75 cm (26 in x 30 in), 2024
Qadry titled his work The Tent in connection with the refugee experience and forced migration, one that Maroun Tomb experienced firsthand as a result of the Nakba. Not only does the tent represent temporary existence and continuous anxiety, but also serves as a reminder of the previous and ongoing loss of Palestinian homes and collective memory. By embracing a combination of symbolism and abstract expressionism in his painting style, the tent is reduced to a simple composition reminiscent of sand piles, lost homes, or broken dreams that evoke sadness— or anxiety given the yellow hue used. The oscillating lines of the triangular tent are reminders of instability— likening a structure that is on the verge of collapse— either by exhaustion or the need to be on the move due to displacement and exile.
Zohdy Qadry was born in Nahf, Galilee, and travelled to Russia to study fine arts in 1994. He completed his BA at Kuban State University and then completed his MA specializing in murals at the Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy, Russia. Since his return home in 2004, he works in his studio, teaches art at several colleges, curates exhibitions and participates in shows internationally. 2014 saw the publication of his artist monograph, On Palestinian Abstract Art: Zohdy Qadry and Post Modern Art, by Ismail Nashef.