All Ways Lead to the Mill

Aggregate Space Gallery, Oakland, CA
June 3 – 18, 2016​​​​​​​
In this exhibition presented in conjunction with the 2016 National Queer Arts Festival, Hellu examines the conflicts that emerge at the intersection of Middle-Eastern heritage and queerness. While addressing homophobia and sexuality, He claims his Syrian roots and Arab ethnicity, questioning the complexities and stereotypes associated with this background. Hellu’s exploration of his compound-complex identity activates a contemporary discourse around the implications of cultural lineage.
Aggregate Space Gallery presents this work of moving and still images that explore how we navigate our relationship to our shared cultural histories and personal narratives. The title, All Ways Lead To The Mill, is inspired by a Syrian proverb about how different paths lead to the same destination. Similarly, Hellu’s work uses insight and self-awareness to examine and critique the different facets of his identity, ultimately weaving the varied threads into a singular, inescapable quest.
Installation: 3-channel video, digital pigment print, fluorescent tube

Dagger
Video projection
Barbed wire
​​​​Animated GIF
I…
HD Video, sound, 05:52"
Hides
Screen prints on dyed leather
Be my guest
Installation: upholstered furniture with textile design
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