Photo from “The Gravity of Roots” (How to get by without getting out) Exhibition by Randa Ali Ahmad
Monday April 7, Beirut, Lebanon – The opening of artist Randa Ali Ahmad’s exhibition “The Gravity of Roots” (How to get by without getting out) took place at the Stone Garden Building in the presence of a large number of friends and journalists.
The exhibition delves into a world where rootedness and longing for elsewhere are intertwined in a deeply felt dialogue. Through a series of paintings and sculptural installations, the artist deciphers the fragile balance between earth and sky, bonding and exile, light and shadow.
With compositions in which forms swing between figuration and abstraction, Randa Ali Ahmad encourages viewers to question their own ties to space and time. Each of the 14 canvases is a thread stretching between past and present, memory and oblivion, anchorage and freedom. The artist captures the invisible tensions within us: the silent gravity that holds us back, the secret impulse that pushes us toward the unknown.
“This exhibition is a reflection on this balance, how we are attached to our origins, to history, to the land, while being continually influenced by invisible forces that shape our existence,” explains Randa Ali Ahmad.
Art that goes beyond borders
Randa Ali Ahmad’s work is a crossing, a bridge. Between Beirut and Los Angeles, between East and West, she captures in her pieces the tension of displacement, the dialogue between memory and the present moment. Each piece is an imprint, an echo of her inner journeys and her view of the world.
Randa Ali Ahmad uses several techniques to bring her work to life: acrylic on canvas, mixed media, and self-hardening clay, which enable her to dismantle the tension between anchorage and lightness, between memory and transformation.
“In my creative process, I worked with materials that underline these forces; earthy tones, organic textures, massive forms defying gravity, and others that are lighter, yet seemingly rooted.”
Her colors, often deep and vibrant, convey a raw emotion, a quest for balance in the turmoil of reality. Her works, like traces of life, examine the individual’s place in an ever-changing world.
Each piece is a meditation on belonging, resistance and surrender,” explains the artist.
The exhibition is not limited to the works hanging on the walls; it is conceived as an immersive experience. The scenography plays on light and shadow, emphasizing the contrasts and tensions suggested by the paintings. 4 sculptural installations mark the space, reinforcing the idea of anchoring and movement. The textures and materials used by the artist invite the viewer to engage in a dialogue with the works.
“This series is not just about physical roots or gravitational pulls, but also about the invisible forces that shape us, whether personal, cultural or elemental,” adds Randa Ali Ahmad. “I urge you to walk through these works with your perception of weight and anchoring; to feel what holds you back and what sets you free.”
The Exhibition remains until Wednesday, April 16, 2025 (Included)
Venue: Stone Garden building, Port area (previously Mina Image Center)
Opening Hours: Daily from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm
About the Artist
Randa Ali Ahmad was born in 1962 in Beirut where she currently lives and works. She began her artistic journey with a street exhibition on Makhoul Street during her teenage years. She pursued her formal education at the Lebanese American University, earning an Associate of Arts degree with the Sheikh Zayed Award distinction. Amidst the Lebanese Civil War, she relocated to Los Angeles where she obtained dual diplomas in Interior Design and Studio Arts from UCLA.
Her inaugural exhibition took place in Los Angeles in 1988.
She participated in group shows in Paris and Beirut. Randa’s works are a testament to her personal evolution, capturing the intersection of history, culture, and emotion. Her paintings have been exhibited in both solo and group shows highlighting her position as a significant contemporary artist.