Using ballpoint pen on fragments of philosophical and historical texts, Habib Hajallie explores themes of memory, connection, and loss. Based in Kent, the artist celebrates influential Black cultural figures and cherished family members while reflecting on his experiences as a British man of Sierra Leonean and Lebanese descent. In his solo exhibition, Black & Blue at Larkin Durey, Hajallie addresses the profound grief of his daughter’s stillbirth and the “indescribable emotions that sit beneath language,” according to the gallery.
For this exhibition, Hajallie intentionally shifted from black to blue ballpoint ink. He also contemplated the loss of his sister four years ago as he created these pieces. By incorporating antique maps and excerpts from philosophical and sociological texts, he portrays what the gallery terms “an altered sense of self.” The figures, including self-portraits, convey sentiments of despair, confusion, numbness, care, and the complex emotions in between.
The gallery notes that “while this series is concerned with the internal landscape of loss and what it means to endure a profoundly altered reality, each artwork has acted as an invaluable step towards healing.” By drawing directly on antique texts that delve into morality, purpose, and transcendence, Hajallie’s personal suffering engages in a broader dialogue about finding meaning and how drawing can become a space for solace and catharsis.
Black & Blue runs through May 22 in London. For more information, visit the artist’s Instagram.
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