The bright, joyful canvases of Gazan-born artist Dina Mattar are on view in the artist’s solo exhibition in Abu Dhabi. On display are evocative paintings that invite viewers to step into Mattar’s world, where striking images of women are painted with emotion, determination and resilience.

“This time, I redraw my memories in a way that lets me see light before darkness, joy before sorrow,” writes Mattar in her artist’s statement for the exhibition. “I revisit moments from our old life and my daily recollections — those I once thought were fleeting, only to find they had become real, as though I were discovering them for the very first time.”

Mattar, who now lives in Sharjah, paints scenes with emotional depth. Her works are rich in storytelling, featuring layered figurative compositions enhanced with mixed media and Palestinian cultural motifs. As demonstrated in this exhibition, her practice centers on the female figure, celebrating the strength and resilience of women. Her subjects uplift the viewer, even as they struggle, through vivid color fields, rich symbolism and dynamic visual forms.

“How can a sorrowful person feel joy, despite carrying pain as heavy as mountains?” writes the artist in her statement. “It is a question I ask myself every time I face the blank canvases waiting for me to cry into their embrace — something I often do — yet each time, I surprise them with colours bursting with life. Through this act, I try to triumph, turning joy and delight into weapons against misery and grief.”

Every painting, writes Mattar, “opens a door to hope and love, giving sorrow a new shape of life — as if color itself were praying for a brighter tomorrow — a more beautiful tomorrow.”

Date: until March 5

Location: Iyad Qanazea Gallery, Abu Dhabi