Upon returning from Berlin to his hometown of Aley from Berlin amid wartime, Khaddaj found himself drawn to the mountains surrounding him.

An unwavering presence in the heart of chaos, these mountains became a beacon of peace, strength and endurance. They exuded a sense of grounding and hope, reminding him that even in the darkest times, light still finds a way through.

Most of the works in Mountains of Light were created during the war. The series unfolds as an interplay between the anchored robustness of the mountains and the ephemeral qualities of light and transparency.

These paintings reflect the artist’s connection to the land, the sun and the vibrancy of Lebanon’s nature. The warm reds of the soil, intertwined with golden light and soft autumnal hues across their colored layers, evoke both serenity and resilience.

Through his latest works, Khaddaj invites viewers to regain their grounding, see the beauty in steadfastness and connect with the light that guides us through challenging times.

I have found inspiration in my thoughts and experiences for a considerable amount of time. The constant exploration of my emotions can often feel overwhelming. In the series "Just Birds," I find a way to alleviate the weight of my emotions by shifting my focus to nature, particularly birds. Birds serve as a means for me to escape from my own self and the worries that accompany it.

Lost & Found is a series of paintings depicting a period in my life where I lost everything familiar to me - an inevitable detachment.

2020, a year of change for so many, was also a year of life-changing eruptions for me: pillars of my life fell one after another just like domino stones. In August, the Beirut Blast destroyed major parts of a city I called home for many years and a city I still feel very connected to. An explosion in my personal life followed shortly after. After six years my relationship ended, which meant not only the loss of my partner but also the disappearance of a shared home in Leipzig.

A move to Berlin that was supposed to bring change and a fresh start, was hit with disappointment when newly imposed Corona regulations forced the cancellation of four planned art exhibitions. In December 2020 the global pandemic suddenly became a very personal and life-changing ordeal: my father lost his life to the virus.

Lost & Found is the attempt to find "myself" again after these seemingly unbearable events. It is a reflection of a never-ending healing process infused with inspiration coming from my new home, Berlin.

What if thoughts were visible? How would that alter the way we look at each other? "Visible Thoughts" is a series of paintings depicting the visualization of one's thoughts in a set of various situations. I dig into the imagination of myself and others trying to find suitable colors and shapes merging to form a new vision of a human being. The vision is much deeper than skin and flesh. It penetrates the complexity of the soul sinking into the harmony of instinct clashing with the chaotic human habits and smashing into the intricate web of awareness.

"Today Olives, Tomorrow Olives, Everyday Olives" is a series of 1-minute daily art performances throughout March 2020 depicting my life as an artist. They coincidently overlapped with the lockdown during Covid 19 spread which inspired some acts. The videos were posted daily on my Instagram account.

“Lützner Street 7” is a collection of paintings depicting my interpretation of various physical and emotional bonds between individuals. It is an analysis that swings between objective external observations and internal perspectives from myself, as a member of the community I live in.

After moving to Leipzig, Germany, I began to recognise different forms of community and individual relationships. Coming from Lebanon and making a fast shift to a western community was not easy. The ideologies and formalities were new. Some social aspects I had appreciated in a Middle Eastern society do not exist here. The quest for embracing change and harvesting positive characteristics of people’s connections was the captivating premise that inspired this collection.

“Lützner Street 7” is a hybrid of human touch and emotion. It is the byproduct of characteristics forming and deforming human relations. The works are an invasion on what was foreign and what is still shared. They are the translation of sentiments such as love, hope, ambition, enjoyment, unity, understanding and acceptance.

I live on “Lützner Street 7”. It is where eighteen people came together and defeating all odds, merged into one family. This exhibition is a tribute to all the good mornings and the good nights. It is a tribute to Home and all the beautiful people founding it.

'In the Planet Where We Met' unites the practices of two internationally exhibiting artists from Peru and Lebanon. It consists of a series of collaborative video performances filmed shortly after Ingrid Pumayalla and Mazen Khaddaj got to know each other in Germany.

The series highlights their process of familiarization with each other. Through shared, unscripted, live interactions, the exploration and cooperation of their commonalities and differences unfold to reveal the capacity of humans to trust.

Their ongoing collaboration intends to poetically address immigration, cultural issues, and emotions close to them individually as well as pressing issues in our society. The series continually develops as the artists will record new performances in every place that the multi-channel installation 'In the Planet Where We Met' is exhibited.

Written by Lavínia D. Freitas

“The Laundry Room” is a video installation at The MUSEUM DER BILDENDEN KÜNSTE signifying the outcome of my recent journey to discover my spiritual identity.  After three years of living in Leipzig, Germany, I started shifting and reshaping my beliefs; perhaps I saw this as a way to fit in faster. Eventually, an explosion of spiritual awakening hit me, and along with it came my creations. I became captivated by consciousness and the soul; it was stimulating for me to study my thoughts on the infinite possibilities and mystical mythologies of these notions.

“The Laundry Room” represents the traveling of my soul from one state to another carrying thoughts and experiences imprinted in my consciousness. It is a vessel holding my memories and patterns from the beginning of my being to the very endlessness. Stain-by-Stain my self and selflessness­ are created, some is washed way and others are as permanent as permanent can be.

I invite you to invade the boundless core of my existence within the restricted walls of this massive elevator! Have a nice journey!

“I End to Begin” is a series of paintings and video performances expressing Mazen Khaddaj’s latest spiritual experiences. 

After three years of living in Leipzig, Germany, he started shifting and reshaping his beliefs; perhaps he saw this as a way to fit in faster.  Eventually, an explosion of spiritual awakening hit him, and along with it came his creations. Khaddaj became captivated by consciousness and the soul; it was so interesting for him to study his thoughts on the infinite possibilities and mystical mythologies of these notions.

 The artist believes that his Druse background was a starting point for the idea and inspiration for this series. The concept of reincarnation was like a window opening new dimensions for his body, mind, and soul to travel through.

 “The Pentagon” video installation includes five video performances depicting the fight between different traditions, cultures, and religions. This is the struggle of forming an identity and a belief system that feels like him wherever he lives, whether it is in Germany or in Lebanon.

 “I End to Begin” is a quest for unanswered questions and an attempt to work through a wavering identity. One adventure after another, Khaddaj’s curiosity multiplies and possibilities arise. 

“I am a Foreigner” is a series of paintings and video performances that express my journey from Lebanon to Germany. They depict my feelings between attachment and detachment. It also portrays my disoriented emotions that sway my existence between my homeland and my new life here in Leipzig.

It is tough to “be” in a setting where I am also dissimilar. With every painting or performance, I root myself in this new soil. I want to continue here what I was before.

“I am a Foreigner” is the extensions and the delays; it is the shouts and the whispers. It is what was and what will be.

I trust my way, step by step. My faith grounds me and my hope lifts me high.

I am walking...

New forms of collectivity began to emerge as I glided through a world of dimmed colors and swaying blurry figures. each figure is a story and each gathering a statement written by multiple bodies, forming and reforming themselves singularly and in groups. i did not see any faces but i absorbed the gestures and signals that each one emitted. these collective movements and individuals expressions became the basis of my work.

The concept of these works mirrors the mixed feelings that Lebanese people have towards their recent state. It is a war between extremes. In this exhibition I showcases these extremes leaving you to figure out your own middle state and draw your own red line, and it does not have to be red!