About White Memory

In this series of black and white photographs, Ghassan Hamadeh explores the concepts of memory, displacement, and land. Through his lens, he narrates stories of absentees. He captures the threads of the moment to freeze the time while unleashing a torrent of emotions that delve deep into the souls of the Palestinians to tell the narrative of the Palestinian diaspora.

Driven by his longstanding passion for photography, Ghassan Hamadeh employs black and white photography to deliberately excluding the noise of colors in order to achieve a clearer, deeper, and more comprehensive view of the human cause. Stripping away distractions, the focus shifts to the essence of the stories that whisper tales of their protagonists into the ears of the beholder—memories of their early years, details of Palestine untouched by years of prolonged absence, and untarnished by the ordeals of forced displacement. Their tender memories endure.

Each of these images is accompanied by oral narratives, serving as an integral supplement to capture the details of the life and experiences of the Palestinian refugee. These accounts deepen the oral history, constructing the complete context for the photographic narrative. The refugee speaks of their life back in Palestine, of displacement, resistance, and life. The still photograph represents the fixed narrative, while the interview adds another layer—a dynamic and ever-renewing story.