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Against the backdrop of the ruins of destroyed homes and the echoing boom of air strikes, Gaza artists sit with brushes in their hand, turning despair into a challenge. Flour bags become sails, humanitarian aid boxes turn into portraits and every stroke of paint tells a story.
For more than 76 years, the occupation of Israel has been a threat to Palestinian culture by displacing and destroying. But even before the present war in which Israel killed more than 61 700 PalestiniansGaza artists refuse to disappear.
And some of the enclave artists managed to turn the pain into hope as they depict the harsh realities of war and displacement. With limited resources, they continue to produce, saying that their art reflects the will to survive.
Gaza's cultural devastation involves the destruction of dozens of cultural centers, museums and artifacts, including ancient ceramics and manuscripts. The termination of the fire, which began on January 19, provided relaxation, but experts believe the full degree of damage is unknown.
In the most official report on the situation, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Culture said in March that 45 writers and artists were killed in Gaza since the conflict broke out on October 7, 2023 and 32 cultural centers and 12 museums were destroyed S The numbers are probably far higher.
Among the killed is an artist Mahasen al -hateebHe died in October with an Israeli air strike at Jabalia's refugee camp in North Gaza. She was killed with her whole family.
Attempt to “Delete” the Palestinian Culture
While the Israeli military constantly claims that its operations are focusing on fighters involved in attacks on Israel, Gaza artists and art experts claim that Israel intends to erase the Palestinian culture.
Israel has “destroyed historical sites and ancient landmarks, eradicating thousands of years of cultural heritage in Gaza,” said Sobi Kuta, a visual artist and teacher at Al-Aksa University, who also coordinates the Abdel Mohsin Al Caton Foundation Club. “Many Palestinian artists have also lost their works, whether through the bombing of their homes or the destruction of cultural centers in which these pieces are located.”
Palestinian art traces its roots to Byzantine influences and evolves through Islamic traditions. After 1967, when Israel began to occupy Gaza, the art became a powerful tool for resistance to artists such as Kamal Bulata and Suleiman Mansour, using his work to uphold the Palestinian oculation.
Art education was included in the academic landscape of Gaza in the mid-1990s with the Program for Fine Arts of the University of Al-AQSA. The art scene was growing rapidly, reinforced by the Eltiqa group for the launch of contemporary art in 2002 as the first modern art of Gaza and followed by Shababeek for contemporary art in 2009. Despite the conflict and blockade of Gaza from Israel, the art community of Gaza. But all the main spaces for art-ELTIQA, Shababeek and Al-Aqsa were destroyed by Israel in the war.
Silent struggle testimonies
18-year-old Hussein al-Gardzhi withstood a displacement five times because of the war. And his conflict cost him a whole school year.
The war strongly influenced his artistic journey, and he focused on an unconventional environment: humanitarian flour bags as sails. Its paintings on the symbols of survival in siered land show cracks, fissures and other symbols that reflect the destructed existence of those in Gaza.
“When I paint on a flour bag, it feels as if I write my story with a brush immersed in suffering and durability,” said al-Kedzhevi.
The choice of help bags is a natural response to the shortage of traditional reserves in Gaza, said al-Kedzhevi.
“In a refugee tent surrounded by an empty Unrwa The end of the end, I decided to draw them to capture the pain of the war and my displacement story, “he said, referring to the United Nations Assistance and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees, the main aid agency for the Palestinians.
Despite the war, Al-Jenjui has participated in art exhibitions and workshops, including Stints as a visual artist with the Catan Foundation and Shababeek. One of his paintings was presented on the occupied West Coast of the Catan Gallery, run by the Catan Foundation, which plays an important role in nourishing the Gaza art community, supporting children in disciplines such as drawing, theater and singing.
“Even after I lost so much, my art remains my challenge,” he said.
Describing one of his paintings, Al-Kedzhevi said: “Bags with flour silently witness the stories of the displaced, awaiting survival. With print words emphasizing frozen human condition, raised, tight hands – some gripping flour, others empty – talk about the desperate search for hope. “
He added that “Faces are stories of fatigue and hunger. The eyes ask not only for bread but also about dignity. The faded crowd in the background, like shadows, waits in an endless line. “
Al-Kedzhev regard his art as a protection of Palestinian identity.
“The profession seeks to erase our culture and identity. But art keeps our memory. Every picture I create is a document, telling the world that we are alive, dream and hold on to our roots. “
Conversion of pain in art
Ibrahim Marna, 19 -year -old, another Palestinian artist, has turned the boxes for humanitarian aid that have been used to pack food and other basic things in works of art that, in his view, embody the pain and resilience of families displaced by the war.
“These boxes are not just food containers. They have become symbols of the difficult social conditions we encounter today, while reflecting our persistence to resist the ability to endure, “Marna said.
Mahna began to use the boxes for help when traditional art articles became inaccessible because of the war.
From the rough surface of one of his paintings on the boxes, images of hollow eyes appear, screaming silently. Behind them, the tents are raised in a fruitless landscape surrounded by palm trees.
“These persons are my people,” Mana said.
His work often depicts tents and figures covering generations, reflecting the suffering of the Palestinians who lost everything.
“The tents have become everything they have left – a fragile shelter that does not offer protection against the harshness of nature or the severity of their tragedy,” said he removed. “The suffering of displaced individuals in these tents inspires me to create more paintings that document their daily struggles, ensure that their stories remain evidence of their existence. “
He pointed to a woman at the center of one of his paintings, her strong but tired face embodies the Palestinian motherhood.
“Behind her are men and children marked by war and poverty. These persons symbolize a people who refuses to be wiped out, “Mana said.
For Mahna, art is resistance and identity: “The profession not only takes away our land. He tries to erase us. Drawing boxes for help allows me to restore our history. “
Qouta said there was no doubt that Israeli occupation was strongly focused on Palestinian art and culture.
Although Maena and Al-Kedzhevi managed to continue to produce, Kuta said the war left many “artists who cannot create due to psychological trauma.”
He added: “Many had to focus on the support of their families and find safety.”
