Eruv 2; 12 x 12 inches, Acrylic and paper on Board
IN THE COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST
The Hammas attacks of October 7th 2023 and the subsequent devastation of Gaza required the whole world to take a moral stock of who were were as humans and what we believed in. Sadly the shockwaves of divisions and harm reverberated out from the Middle East to communities in the diaspora. As trauma responses were triggered and fear began to rule responses, some saw fit to attack others personally for their ethical views rather than engage in conversation and solution seeking.
Personally this was as very difficult time for me ( though nothing compared to the suffering of the people directly affected by the violence.) In 2025 I took a class just for fun which involved intuitive mark making on paper and fabric. As I started to iron and rearrange the fabrics and papers I realised I was starting subconsciously to tell the emotional stages I went through during the preceding couple of years (and also the stages I hope the Middle Eastern communities will also reach). I consciously began to tell my story to myself in this book as a reassurance and a way to confirm the resilience and self understanding that emerged.
The military and politicians declared the Gazan war to be over. The hostages were returned. Yet the experience of those affected, the need for reconstruction and ongoing peace and reconcilation work and the implications for the moral heart of humanity will never be over.
Throughout this book there are white columns representing the members of my community who supported me and held me upright. Each page also has three red cross stitches representing the Palestinian cause (referring to their traditional embroidery) as my commitment to acknowledging and advocating for the human rights of Palestinians.
The Hebrew words on each page are:
ISOLATION
ANGER
ANXIETY
TEARS
HOPE/REPAIR
RENEWAL
This piece is part of a collection. Click on the images below to explore other pieces in the series.
