A solo exhibit by: Linda Elshami

There Is No Map is a body of work that contributes to an ongoing investigation of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. The work is manifested in optic and haptic modes of representation; it embodies a geopolitical struggle using critical and methodological graphic design praxis and an interdisciplinary approach that integrates cartography and architecture.

The production of occupation hinges on the Israeli spatial practices that continuously shift, construct, deconstruct, segregate, and shuffle the landscape of the West Bank. These practices are present in the continuous building of settlements, gates, checkpoints, and separation barriers; pouring concrete becomes an act of casting political ideologies and a condition for the expansion of Israel. The exhibition examines these spatial practices close up and at a distance. As such, the work examines the geography/landscape of the West Bank as a site through performing virtual tours sight using Google Earth to render a landscape in transition.

Linda Elshami and Goodfellas Gallery would like to formally invite you to join us for the opening reception of THERE IS NO MAP, Friday April 17th at 6pm.

The exhibit runs from April 15th - 22nd

About the Artist:

Linda Elshami launched her creative career as a portrait artist and art gallery owner prior to establishing her graphic design practice. She holds a BSc in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah United Arab Emirates and is currently an MFA candidate at OCAD University.

In recent years, Linda has made a transition from corporate designer to independent design practitioner. This shift in focus has allowed her to broaden her exploration of diverse media, informed by theory and design research methodologies. Her work acts as a commentary on social, cultural and political themes through critical graphic design praxis. Having lived most of her life in the Middle East before moving to Toronto, has allowed her to view her own culture as an outsider for the first time. This cultural, intellectual and visual shift has engendered a series of experimental projects that deal with notions of identity, diaspora and displacement and allow her to look at her being from the perspective of intellectual exile.