Solidarity with Palestinians through art

Through art, we can transmit pain from the depths of the subconscious to the page, canvas, or installation or any other media.

In an exhibition of SQU graduates’ artworks, an installation grabs visitors’ attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

Nehad al Harassiya, who created this artwork, was inspired by Motaz Azaiza, a Palestinian journalist, who said,” We are a people who are killed.”

Carefully selected components and colours, together with a pleasant touch and precise details represent the suffering of Palestine under the occupation. On closer inspection, each item and colour serve in delivering Al Harassiya’s reflection of the current issue.

The artwork is composed of human components, buildings, and sand; each of them poses the issue from a different angle. The human components represent Palestinians of different ages who want to exercise their right to their own land.

Solidarity with Palestinians through art

They are painted white to give a sense of inner peace and purity of Palestinians and have Keffiyeh wrapped around their necks, symbolizing the people's endurance and attachment to their culture and land.

The installation succeeds in reflecting the complex psychology of Palestinians who despite their inner peace and purity, press on steadily with greater intent and purpose to protect their rights and homeland.

The sand is utilized to underline deep attachment between Palestinians and their land. The wooden building-like structures illustrate the social and architectural systems that were brutally ruined by the war.

The colours have their own fair share in alluding to al Harassiya’s judgment and perspective of the Palestinians under occupation. White reflects Palestinians’ inner peace and purity, black is a declaration of mourning for martyrs. The dominant colour, dark red, dominates in the artworks to create an eerie poignant atmosphere simulating the civilians under the barbaric rule of Israel. Earthy or dark grey colours foreshadow the demolition of buildings and homes, which are bombed to dust.