Mohammed Joha's 'Houselessness' at Zawyeh Gallery explores Palestinian memory through fragmented collages

Palestinian artist Mohammed Joha presents 'Houselessness' at Zawyeh Gallery in Dubai, an exhibition exploring the distinction between physical houses and emotional homes through mixed-media collages. Joha, who has lived in Europe for over 20 years, centers his work on Gaza, where his family remains and where he recently lost his house and over 500 paintings during ongoing conflict. The exhibition features works like 'The Sea is Mine (triptych)' (2023) and several pieces from 2025 including 'Houseless No.4', 'Houseless No.2', and 'Houseless No.9'. These collages incorporate materials such as mesh, cardboard, lace, fabric fragments, clothing pieces, and navigational maps, arranged in horizontal sections that evoke horizons. Joha's compositions transform debris into landscapes of endurance, with stitched threads and layered papers creating surfaces that suggest both mending and fracture. The works address diasporic experience and the resilience required to carry home internally when physical dwellings disappear. 'Houselessness' continues through January 11, presenting what Joha describes as the 'emotional architecture of belonging' built through adaptation rather than literal shelter.