“Art of Palestine: from the river to the sea” is a new exhibition opening on 26 September in London. Through aesthetic expressions such as abstract art, landscape paintings and murals, more than 25 Palestinian artists bring to light their experience under occupation.
Zac Liew
Bombs have been raining down on Gaza for eleven months. But people who live there will tell you that acts of Israeli aggression began decades before October 7, 2023.
They have lived through death, displacement, poverty and other tragedies before, but still they have shown the strength and dreams that live in every people, in every nation.
For this reason, the P21 Gallery has organised an exhibition that not only celebrates the creativity and talent of Palestinian artists but also provides a critical space for dialogue, reflection, and awareness about the Palestinian culture and heritage.
The exhibition is called “Art from Palestine: from the river to the sea”, whose aim, according to the organisers, is to promote understanding, empathy and solidarity with this people, “highlighting their vibrant artistic expressions as a form of resistance and resilience in the face of the occupation, the apartheid regime and the genocide in Gaza”.
It is a platform for Palestinian artists to express their experiences, identities and narratives through art, and offer an insight into the collective memory and resistance of the Palestinian people: “Each artwork tells a story, reflects a perspective, and invites viewers to engage with the complexities of Palestinian life, history, and aspirations.”
Samia Halaby is one of the Palestinian artists who will form the centrepiece of the exhibition. A trailblazer in contemporary abstract art, Halaby has had her work displayed in museums around the world since the 1970s. She was displaced from Palestine in 1948 with her family when she was eleven and, in what would be a big move for her art career, took up an interest in computing many years later. She once said, “Art history teaches us that the greatest art was always made using the technology of its time”.
Another artist is Nabil Anani, a painter, ceramicist and sculptor. A key founder of the contemporary Palestinian art movement, he fled to the West Bank during the Nakba of 1948 when he was five. Much of his work goes profoundly into the Palestinian experience of occupation.
A young artist to feature in the exhibition is Taqi Spateen, known for stopping people on the street with his murals. Some of his work is set against Israel’s Separation Wall, mostly literally. These days, Spateen pours much of his creativity into landscape paintings.
His realist style has marked him out as a young talent who can capture the raw beauty of rural Palestine, which in some paintings is juxtaposed with the bleak, grey high rise buildings that dominate the city. The show will also feature works by Gaza residents Maisara Baroud and Mohammed Alhaj, and other artists who have recently been evacuated from the region. Additionally, a special exhibition features artwork by Gazan children depicting their experiences from previous attacks.
This exhibition (which is the second project at the P21 Gallery by Palestine Museum US) will open to the public on September 26 in a ceremonial reception, to take place between 6pm-8pm. It will continue open until December 21. More information: P21 Gallery.
(Photos courtesy Palestine Museum US, authorised for publication)
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