Ghia Haddad
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
Ghia Haddad, featured in AQ Volume VI, is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and researcher whose work bridges fine art, fiber traditions, and cultural studies. Based in Dubai and originally from Beirut, Ghia brings over 30 years of experience in graphic design, public art, and studio practice to her vibrant mixed-media creations.
She holds bachelor’s degrees in Graphic Design and Art History from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester.
Ghia’s artwork explores identity, memory, and social justice, weaving together paint, textiles, embroidery, and beading to challenge traditional Western artistic hierarchies. Her practice reclaims fiber arts as a legitimate force in contemporary art, inviting tactile interaction and questioning the historic exclusion of women and underrepresented communities from the canon.
In parallel to her artistic career, Ghia’s research focuses on cultural heritage, museum practices, and decolonial narratives, with a particular interest in embroidery (tatreez) and its shifting representation in Western institutions. Her writing and exhibitions advocate for the reclamation of voice, visibility, and belonging within global art and museum spaces.
Committed to art as a vehicle for civic learning and community engagement, Ghia has exhibited internationally and continues to lecture, write, and create work that fosters dialogue across cultures and generations.
ghiahaddad.com
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
I was driven by the absence of women — especially women of color and from the Global South — in visual culture and the Western art history canon. My work is a response to that void and a way to reclaim space through representation.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
Hats of the Resistance is a portrait series that honors how women have used hats as acts of defiance, protection, and identity across cultures and time. The hats carry history, but it’s the eyes — fierce, knowing, unflinching — that speak most loudly. These are not just portraits; they are quiet uprisings.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
I explore the space between painting and fiber, challenging the divide between art and craft. This blend pushes back against the historical marginalization of textiles — and, by extension, women’s work — in the realm of high art.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
I want my art to offer an alternative story — one that disrupts the Western canon and reclaims space for voices it has long excluded.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
“Art is how civilizations heal.” — Toni Morrison. This reminder grounds and fuels my practice daily.
