Dana Barqawi

Cultures of Resistance Awardee — Jordan

Dana Barqawi is a multidisciplinary artist and urban planner, based in Amman, Jordan. For Dana, the act of artistic creation is inseparable from notions of the real world. In times of socio-political change, she creates politically and socially engaged art. Dana’s work challenges colonial narratives, and explores indigenous identities and aspects of womanhood and community.

Dana’s approach unfolded as a result of her years of work with INGOs and government bodies, and herexperience in community participation and development. Growing up with women who painted, sewed, designed, and made art, Dana extends herself through artistry and has a long-standing fascination with detail. As a process driven artist, Dana uses raw concepts to define the rules of each project. Working from her workshop in Amman, her work involves experimenting with material and is constantly evolving.

Dana received a Cultures of Resistance Award (CoR Award) in 2022 and will use the award money for her “re-narrate” project’s final exhibition. The project is a collection of artworks that explore and question colonial and foreign narratives within the Arab/West Asia context. The intention is to re-narrate from a different perspective than the mainstream, focusing on narratives rooted in colonialism, sovereignty, community and womanhood.

Follow her on Instagram here to learn more about her work or visit her website here.

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