Yasmine Amal
Yasmine Amal is a self-taught artist based in Berlin. Through her artistic practice she delves into the dynamic relationship between her ancestral ties and diasporic life. For her, painting is thus a profound form of self-exploration as she seeks to fulfill her diverse roles in contemporary society. She explores the meaning of indigenous connection to land, from unearthing wisdom to embracing environmental responsibility.
To Amal, the boundless expanse of the sea symbolizes both freedom and ancestral memory, belonging and return. The artist draws upon the marine world for much of her visual language and color palette, with her pieces often evoking the dynamics of coral reefs, reminiscent of Amazigh symbols.
Amal understands art as a tool aimed at fostering deep transformation and strengthening social cohesion. Through her art, Amal seeks to reverse the effects of individualistic societies and reclaim the narrative of indigenous identities. Central to her work is the desire to facilitate collective learning and healing and create room for cross-cultural dialogue. Her paintings pay homage to the resilience of marginalized communities, creating new spaces for empathy and togetherness.
Artworks
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The triptych of paintings explores themes of social cohesion and spiritual connection within Moroccan cultural heritage, particularly focusing on its Jewish indigenous legacy. The number three serves as a pivotal symbol, representing the interconnectedness of earth, spirits and ancestors as well as pre-colonial past, present, and future.
During sunset the viewer finds stories of mutual protection and appreciation, common narratives and spirituality. The second chapter delineates the alienation, trauma and uprooting of indigenous life and the disruption of communal ties, as the aftermath of colonialism. Finally, Amal draws the viewer into an Afrofuturistic vision, where ancestors reclaim agency by re-envisioning identity and embracing its complexities, celebrating reconciliation and healing.
Through this work, she seeks to emphasize the past as an integral part of liberation and the importance of ancestral connection for envisioning transformation. Finding both solace and strength in Amazigh and natural symbolism, Amal layers and intertwines experiences and emotions in her paintings. She invites the observer to reflect on the cycles of belonging and the profound power of cultural coexistence within diverse communities worldwide.