Palestinian artist, Shadi Alzaqzouq was born in Benghazi in 1981. Deprived of a passport from his home country he spent his early years as a refugee in Libya. In 1996, however, the signing of the Oslo Accords meant that he and his family (and in total 30,000 Palestinians) were expelled from the country, returning eventually to Gaza. Since 2007 the artist has lived and worked in Paris. Shadi's work has been included in numerous exhibitions globally including most recently as part of Banksy's Dismaland, Weston- super-Mare.

 

ARA-B-LESS? will feature Shadi's 2014 painting, 'Paris Calling', accompanied by a durational performance piece. 'Paris Calling' portrays a punk inspired practicing Muslim kneeling before the French capital's defaced Arc de Triomphe in a surprising coalescence of profound religious conviction and striking subcultural rebellion.

 

Shadi’s eccentric creations- hijabs adorned by colourful variations on the Liberty Spike Mohawk- a popular punkish hairstyle denoting freedom and non-conformity- will be available to purchase or simply just to try on in order that visitors might be able to participate in what is essentially a uniquely conceptual sartorial movement.