Visibility: Seeing and Being Seen

Curated by Delita Martin

Rabea Ballin

About the Artist

Born in Germany and raised in Louisiana, Houston-based artist Rabea Ballin earned her BFA in Graphic Design at McNeese State University and her MFA in Drawing and Painting at the University of Houston. Her multidisciplinary work explores the uniqueness of self-identity, hair politics, and social commentary. She documents these themes primarily through drawing, digital photography, and various printmaking practices.

Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston Museum of African American Culture, and The University Museum at Texas Southern University, among other local and national art spaces. Rabea is currently an artist-in-residence at Project Row Houses, a community model for art and social engagement.

In addition to her artistic practice, she serves as a professor of Art History, Design, and Drawing at Lone Star College – North Harris. Frequent lecturer and panelist, Rabea currently lives and works in Houston’s historic Third Ward community.

Artist:

Rabea Ballin

Social media: @rballin

Webstite: www.rabea-ballin.com

Exhibition

Visibility: Seeing and Being Seen

Artist Statement

My work excavates hidden histories and personal narratives shaped by my experiences growing up on Army bases in Germany and southern Louisiana. I explore the complexities of identity and culture, which focus heavily on the often-overlooked histories of women and the dynamics of hair politics.

Drawing from the labor-intensive beautification practices I learned in my mother’s salon, my drawings highlight the intricate relationship between identity and self-presentation. I aim to challenge and rethink how hair is represented by creating abstract and surreal interpretations.

As a member of ROUX, an all-female printmaking collective (alongside Delita Martin, Ann Johnson, and Lovie Olivia), I further examine cultural and societal issues such as genealogy, feminism, and identity through various printmaking processes which include silk-screen, intaglio, monoprints, and lithography. This work collectively aims to amplify and bring visibility to marginalized voices, fostering dialogues that resonate within my community.