In Oriental Resonance, Imad Habbab reimagines the urban memories of Beirut, Damascus, and Istanbul through metaphorical portraits that blur the lines between faces and architecture. The features of individuals reflect the memory of place, as public figures intertwine with architectural elements in visual harmonies layered with meaning. Familiar faces emerge from the collective memory of the region, fading at the edges as they echo a time of transition—an open visual narrative on identity, belonging, and how cities are felt and remembered.

Habbab presents an inner dialogue between human presence and urban space, where faces appear less as individual portraits and more as keys to the city. They are not merely symbols of themselves, but lenses through which we read the urban landscape. Each carries its own weight in how we recall or imagine a place. Cities are not seen plainly—they are remembered through those who have lived in them, shaped them, or lingered in our consciousness. In this interplay, the face becomes a tool for reinterpreting the city.

Oriental Resonance opens on June 19, 2025 at Mission Art – Mar Mikhael, Beirut, inviting viewers to experience a visual exploration of memory and identity through new, unexpected angles.