Sacred Contrasts by Hosni Radwan

Radwan’s latest series takes us on a mesmerizing journey through the enchanting city of Jerusalem. With his masterful use of charcoal, acrylic, and delicate touches of gold leaf, he skillfully captures the essence of a city shrouded in paradoxes.

The city of Jerusalem is the focus of Hosni Radwan’s latest series of artworks. The minute Radwan saw Jerusalem, after living in the diaspora most of his life, he fell in love with it. He was fascinated with the place, its beauty, and contradictions; the little arches, the oriental style of architecture, the smells, the colors, the noises, and the unique way of living. Jerusalem brought the artist closer to safety and belonging as it carried him back to his childhood in the old city of Baghdad (the place where his family was displaced in 1948). The two places have many things in common, which appear on the surface of his paintings as childish sparkles, cold grey corners, little ancient white domes, golden holy places, as well as pink stones.