Jordanian artist Hilda Hiary introduces her latest artwork “Burden” a 180×180 cm painting using acrylic on canvas composed of two heads, one attached to a body and the other dispatched but the other part is holding it. Hilda dives once again into one’s inner world, but this time into the dark side.

In this artwork, Hilda exposes a psychological conflict one suffer with his pressured self; notably when the pressure and stress grows day by day silently like cancer, you live with it and don’t feel until it’s too exposed. You realize one day you are too heavy to move or think, interact with people and live normally, that’s when you know that the growing pressure has turned into a burden, too heavy to get rid off or live with.

Hilda portrays a person (man or woman) holding his burden symbolized in the dispatched head- in a position where he is trying to throw it away but this has become a part of him, it started small and grew within, and throwing it away or getting rid of it is like cutting off a the disturbing part of yourself. Thus you face a new dilemma “should I let go? Or keep my burden and live with it?”.

There are two astonishing things about Hilda Hiary’s work. First the idea which smartly triggers the most common untold questions and issues, bring it all together in the right perspective and manages to portray it with a beautiful art piece though issues are not always beautiful in reality. Secondly, when you look at them in pictures or a quick glance you’ll think it’s either mix media or collage; but all her paintings are done with acrylic paints on canvas. It shows how strongly Hilda masters the painting from wide spaces to the smallest details requiring patience and efficiency.

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Born in Jordan in 1969, Hilda Hiary graduated from Amman’s Al Zaytoonah University with a BA in Fine Arts in 2004. Prior to receiving her academic training, she had exhibited as a self-taught artist for nearly a decade. Since the mid 1990s, she has been featured in solo and group shows in the Middle East, Europe, the US and Asia, while contributing to symposium, festivals, workshops and biennials. Although primarily a painter, she has also produced a number of video works and installations, several of which have been exhibited internationally. Hiary is the recipient of many awards, most notably an honorable mention from the Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh and first prize for installation art from the Cairo International Biennale. Her latest exhibitions were two solo titled “Impulses” and a group exhibition “Melting Pot” with Ayyam Gallery.

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