Inside ArtBooth Gallery, a group exhibition displays visual slices of Palestinian history, culture and strength through the eyes of four female artists: Rania Amoudi, Dina Matar, Fatima Abu Rumi and Marwa Alnajjar. The exhibition, Heritage, Memory, and the Body, curated by Rula Dughman - founder of Bab edDeir Art Gallery - invites audiences to reflect on the continual recollection of Palestinian history and culture through a female perspective The exhibition does not merely tell a story; it invites visitors to look deeper into the artists’ personal visions. Each Palestinian artist and storyteller offers a facet of lived experience intertwined with loss, instability and, most importantly, womanhood. For Fatima Abu Rumi, traditional Palestinian patterns, embroidery, and art take center stage, sharing space with images of women in their day to day activities: sleeping and carrying garments. The audience is drawn not only to the vibrant and intricate colors of the carpet or weaving patterns, but also to the contrast between the heritage displayed and the white clothing of the woman's figure. Heritage runs deep through these works, signaling both the resilience and hardships woven into a culture.

Fatima Abu Rumi, Untitled, 2025, Oil on Canvas, 115 X 186 cm. Photo Courtesy of Artbooth Gallery.

Rania Amoudi, inspired by the overlooked stories of the women in her life, from her grandmother’s memory of their uprooted village to her mother’s care for the family and her own experiences as a teacher, juxtaposes the everyday lives of Palestinian women with the backdrop of historical turbulence. The stillness in her work reflects maternal care, feminine love and the collective act of building stability amid chaos. In her 2025 piece Awaiting. For instance, a mother hangs clothes - one of which is a kaffiyeh - as her son faces a vast landscape of mountains and greenery.

Themes of history permeate Marwa Najjar’s painting. Finding inspiration in pre-1948 photographs of the Palestinian city of Yafa and the renowned Jaffa oranges, Najjar’s work continues the preservation of Palestinian history. Nostalgia and renewed strength of culture constantly appear in her work through images of Palestinian women alongside traditional patterns and citrus trees.

Marwa Najjar, Yafa Orange Collection, 2025, Oil on Canvas, 100 X 100 cm. Photo Courtesy of Artbooth Gallery.

For Dina Matar, the exhibition offers a chance to revisit the experiences of historical trauma that have profoundly shaped the Gazan artist’s perspective. Her work portrays Palestinian women standing resiliently among traditional embroidery patterns, olive branches and the outlines of Palestinian cities — all expressed in bright, vibrant colors. These collective symbols of survival and hope intertwine with deeply personal narratives.

For those interested in exploring Palestinian art, culture and history through a female lens, Heritage, Memory, and the Body, which is on display at ArtBooth Gallery until the end of October, promises an emotional and eye-opening experience.