The exhibition takes its title from a central work, ‘Last Breath’ (2024), a large canvas through which the artist weaves stories of human experiences from within the Gaza Strip and, in reflecting her anguish for her homeland, departs from her previously hopeful paintings. The exhibition also features other works from her residency, including expressionist faces and depictions of human relationships with animals, characteristic of her practice.
About the artist
Malak Mattar began painting at the age of 13. She started showing and selling her work online and, three years later, had a sell-out solo exhibition at the Palestine Museum, Bristol, UK. Since then, her work has been shown in almost 80 countries. In 2018, she won the highest scholarship in Gaza—second across her year group in Palestine as a whole—to study abroad, and she graduated with a BSc in political science from Istanbul Aydin University (2022). Malak has a large international following, and she is also a writer and illustrator: her celebrated children’s book, ‘Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story’ (2022) is a best-seller pending its third edition in 2024. In October 2021, Malak’s work was the cover for GQ Middle East. She now lives in London, and is currently studying on the MA Fine Art programme at Central Saint Martins.
Image: Malak Mattar, courtesy An Effort.
