Page 3 • Wednesday, November 17, 1999
Aggielife
CHAD ADAMS/Till': Battalion
Sakina I” (above right) are two of Jaddo’s works for the
exhibit, now on display at the MSC Visual Arts Gallery
Lahib Jaddo explores her past with “Bound and Released”
BY MELISSA PANTANO
The Battalion
W hen Iraqi-born Lahib Jaddo left her home in Lebanon to live
in America, she brought with her memories of her torment
ed past and the strength to start a new life free of restrictions.
From this realization of new-found freedom she was inspired to
produce “Bound and Released.” The exhibit, shown solely at Texas
A&M, is on display through Feb. 1 in the MSC Visual Arts Gallery.
Jaddo said her art is directly influenced by past experiences
she has endured.
“Each painting is a story,” she said. “They all deal with either the
issues of personal or cultural freedom. ”
Jaddo, who grew up in a traditional Iraqi family, said the religious
restrictions were too much for her to handle. She said the gender bias
of the Muslim religion did not appeal to her.'
“The Muslim religion caters only to men,” Jaddo said. “Women are
not allowed to participate, but they ‘belong’ to men.”
Jaddo used this experience as inspiration for her paintings. The ex
hibit’s paintings date from 1994 to this year.
The older works depict women against realistic backgrounds, such
as cities or cemeteries, while newer paintings feature women against
abstract backgrounds.
Jaddo said the backgrounds represent her cultural cleansing
experience.
“The women in the older paintings are in turmoil between the West
ern culture and the traditional Muslim culture,” Jaddo said, “while in
the newer paintings, the women are free.”
The merging of Muslim and Western culture is a recurring theme
in Jaddo’s paintings. Models are dressed in traditional clothing.
Jaddo said the cultural influence represents her struggle between
two worlds.
“These cultural entities are constant companions to the main fig
ure,” Jaddo said, “just as anyone must function in the world with
one’s own individual traits and histories. The costumes are also an ex
cuse to paint bright colors.”
Jaddo’s newer style is “photorealism.” First, she paints the back
grounds, then she transfers realistic images from photographs onto the
canvas so the subjects seem to jump out at the viewer.
All of the paintings are of women. Jaddo said that is so because she
can relate to women.
“I am a woman, so I can only identify with the story of a woman,”
Jaddo said. “I can’t paint men, because I don’t know what they feel.”
The oldest of the paintings, “Khadra,” which means “dance of life”
portrays Jaddo’s sister in a Lebanese cemetery. Jaddo said the paint
ing represents personal victory over turmoil.
“She is finding joy in life, even though there is a lot going on around
her,” Jaddo said.
CHAD ADAMS/The Battalion
Another painting, “Doubt I,” deals with Jaddo’s struggle with reli
gion while growing up. She said the struggle stemmed from the con
tradiction of religion which existed in her life.
“I was raised in a Middle Eastern home, but I attended Christian
schools,” Jaddo said. “So there was a kind of schizophrenia between
the two. This contradiction made me begin to doubt my religion, be
cause I was praying every morning at school as a Christian, and at
home that wasn’t allowed.”
One of the newer paintings, “Ready with my Bundles,” is of a young
girl holding a cloth in her hand. Next to the girl is a self-portrait of the
artist carrying many sacks.
Jaddo said the inspiration for the painting came from a child
hood memory of times with her grandmother.
“I remember that my grandmother never had any suitcases,” she
said. “She would just fold up the corners in a piece of cloth, and she
would carry things around that way. The young girl has no emotion
al baggage, while the older woman is weighed down with all she has
been through.”
Laurie Kidd, a member of the MSC Visual Arts Committee and a
sophomore bioengineering major, said this show provides cultural en
richment for A&M students.
“This is a strong show,” she said. “It means a lot to us, because it
is has a strong theme about women and freedom. It speaks to each
one of us individually.”
Jaddo, who has been painting for 15 years, has,a master’s de
gree of fine arts and currently teaches architecture at Texas Tech
University.
Help is
on the way.
[ 1-3 days guaranteed* ]
You have four finals in a week. And there
are two papers to write ... on books you
haven’t read. And let’s not forget the job
you go to when you’re not in classes.
It’s enough to drive you crazy.
That’s where VarsityBooks.com can help.
With a huge selection of Schaiimm’s
Outline Series study guides and ClifPs
Notes, we can get you through your finals
with flying colors.
Ordering on line with VarsityBooks.com
can save you up to 40%. It’s secure and
reliable. And within 1-3 days you will have
the help you need to pass that test. Or
write that paper.
varsitybooks.com
Your Online College Bookstore
*Bodks delivered in i to 3 business days or your shipping is free. Some restrictions apply. See site for details.