In this ongoing series, Hanging Gardens, Maddah repurposes the vocabulary of traditional miniature paintings to depict dream-like scenes that negotiate themes of belonging, resilience, rootedness, rebirth, and renewal through natural elements. Hanging Gardens was initiated by Maddah in 2022 and further developed for this exhibition. The work embodies the notion of a spirit shaped by harsh and absurd realities, exploring themes of ecstasy, liberation, and reincarnation.
This latest body of work, consisting of oil on canvas paintings, is influenced by the belief in reincarnation prevalent in Maddah’s region. This belief, which has long occupied Maddah, impacts the collective memory in the Golan Heights. Reflecting on transcendence and rebirth, Maddah suggests that the body is merely a garment the soul sheds to wear anew, offering hope that death is simply a gateway to a new life.
As a child, Maddah found solace in the nature of the Golan Heights, retreating there in times of turmoil. For Maddah, nature forms a sanctuary from pain and fear, enabling pure contemplation. The philosophy of reincarnation and her deep appreciation for the land are evident in her paintings. Maddah revisits the gardens of her youth, imagining them as metaphors for rebirth. In her compositions, circles symbolise beginnings and endings while natural elements—trees, grass, flowers, and hybrid, anamorphic creatures—express the liminal space between life and death, where complex emotions of ecstasy, liberation from fear, and a sense of futility converge.
