At Buro247 Middle East, we are committed to showcasing and celebrating the extraordinary talent in the Arab world. With our column, #BuroSpotlights, we bring you stories of pioneering artists, innovative designers, tech trailblazers, cinematic visionaries, sports stars, and more.
This week, #BuroSpotlights Palestinian illustrator Narmeen Hamadeh.
Born in Riyadh to Palestinian parents, Narmeen Hamadeh uses her art as a medium to raise awareness about her homeland. An architect by profession, Hamadeh shifted her creative focus to illustration in 2017.
Her early creations featured whimsical characters, often portraying vegetables and food items with distinct personalities and bold red lips. This playful experimentation eventually led to the creation of “Old Man Hummus,” a character that tells the story of hummus from a Palestinian perspective. Through this creation, Hamadeh found her voice as a Palestinian artist.
Hamadeh’s art is deeply emotive, drawing inspiration from her grandparents’ experiences in Palestine and her own personal journey. While her work is a blend of beauty and melancholy, it is vibrant and infused with hope, reflecting her identity as a third-generation Palestinian refugee.
One of the most striking elements of Hamadeh’s art is her use of color. She meticulously selects color combinations, often incorporating modernized Palestinian embroidery patterns that add a unique cultural touch to her pieces. While her art may seem bright and pretty at first glance, there is always a deeper story waiting to be discovered, often revealed through the captions she shares on Instagram.
She finds great joy in the connections her art fosters. When people share their own stories after seeing her work, it signifies that they relate and feel seen, which is immensely rewarding for her. Through her art, she aims to educate her diverse audience about Palestinian culture and to encourage Palestinians and Arabs in the diaspora to reconnect with their roots.
Ultimately, Narmeen’s art is a heartfelt dialogue, aiming to inspire a deeper understanding and connection to her Palestinian heritage.
