Art is that means by which one expresses something that cannot be said in words. According to historians, art has existed since 40,000 BC, long before vocabulary, literature or any other means of communication. Pictures, engravings, sculptures, and sketches are examples of art in the purest manifestation of human potential. As society became more and more politically engaged, art became a symbol of protest, to challenge popular opinions, bring in revolution, and above all, it became a symbol of human emotions.
In wars, art has a special place. It is used by artists as a tool to resist tyranny and subjugation, challenge control and censorship, show solidarity, and call for peace. Art is resistance. It is non-conforming, critical and emotionally charged. Art pierces through dominant discourses, and challenges established power. For the oppressed, art often becomes a part of their identity.
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Amid Israel’s war on Gaza, art has become a vital symbol to reaffirm the political existence, or rather the existence, of Palestinians. Artists across the board—from painters to visual artists, poets and writers—have used their tools to express the pain and suffering, to imprint their culture in the memories of others, to connect to people, show support and solidarity.
Through the voices of artists around the world, Outlook traces how art has shaped global notions about Palestine. Beirut-born artist Ghia Haddad writes, “Let’s all of us remember this: no matter where the borders on this earth are drawn and redrawn by pre-colonials, colonials and post colonials, our earth will always grow Palestinian trees, Palestinian children and Palestinian hope.”
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Heba Haji, one of the artists Outlook spoke to for its year-ender issue, tells how Palestinian artists have had to struggle to be centred. Every time she puts out an artwork, she is met with pity, hate and disgust. “I get told we don’t exist, that we are the reason there is no peace.”
Ahmed ElKhalidi speaks about how, as a migrant Palestinian, the question of identity has been a focal point of his work. As a graphic designer and visual artist, he uses it to make people around him more aware of the Palestinian cause.
Bassent Dawoud, an Egyptian artist, who has been expressing solidarity with Palestine through her artwork, writes about what a powerful tool art is to amplify the voices of the oppressed. “Art, in my belief, is the most potent means to explain issues that the human mind sometimes struggles to comprehend,” she says.
As Outlook bears witness to the people in the war, we look at how the pen and the paintbrush stand in solidarity and continue to resist oppression.
