- Title: Gaza artist paints "dreamers among the rubble" of destroyed building
- Date: 23rd May 2019
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (RECENT) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN ARTIST, ALI AL-JABALI, PAINTING ON WALL OF DESTROYED BUILDING JABALI PAINTING PORTRAIT / PEOPLE TALKING PAINTING / JABALI SEEN HANGING ITEM ON WALL IN BACKGROUND JABALI MIXING COLOURS IN PALETTE JABALI PAINTING JABALI MIXING COLOURS IN PALETTE / JABALI PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN ARTIST, ALI AL-JABALI, SAYING: "My exhibition "dreamers among the rubble" describes humans and the humanitarian situation in which we live in Gaza strip. I drew a group of portraits that express the life and the suffering that the human lives." VARIOUS OF GAZA RESIDENTS, MUSTAFA RADWAN AND HIS WIFE, NADA RADWAN, TOURING JABALI'S EXHIBITION IN DESTROYED BUILDING VARIOUS OF JABALI, RADWAN AND WIFE LOOKING AT PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FORMER RESIDENT OF DESTROYED BUILDING, NADA RADWAN, SAYING: "This is my first visit to the building after it was destroyed from air strike, to visit this exhibition. I felt annoyed; these portraits carry hope but also pain. I felt that this exhibition expresses my feelings. I felt this pain, this place carries very beautiful memories for me but now I feel so sad when I am in here. I am replaying all my memories." JABALI CARRYING PORTRAITS AND WALKING INTO DESTROYED BUILDING VARIOUS OF JABALI FIXING AND CHECKING PORTRAIT ON WALL PORTRAIT OF CHILD JABALI MIXING COLOURS IN PALETTE VARIOUS OF JABALI PAINTING ON WALL PORTRAIT OF CHILD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN ARTIST, ALI AL-JABALI, SAYING: "The murals gave me the inspiration to send the message of the people who suffer in Gaza strip and to express myself as an artist who describes his own suffering in Gaza strip." VARIOUS OF RADWANS CHECKING PAINTINGS PAINTING OF WOMAN COVERING FACE WITH HAND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FORMER RESIDENT OF DESTROYED BUILDING, MUSTAFA RADWAN, SAYING: "I saw the paintings and I remembered my home and the time when I lived in the Italian compound in the tower where my apartment was. The paintings are very expressive. They took me five years back in time." RADWANS AND JABALI LOOKING AT PAINTING HANGING ON BUILDING'S EXTERIOR BUILDING EXTERIOR WITH PAINTING OF YOUNG BOY PAINTING OF YOUNG BOY SEEN FROM WINDOW OF DESTROYED BUILDING BOY LOOKING FROM BEHIND FENCE WITH PAINTING SEEN IN BACKGROUND CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE DESTROYED BUILDING JABALI AND RADWANS LEAVING BUILDING
- Embargoed: 6th June 2019 13:03
- Keywords: Gaza artist 2014 war in Gaza Gaza murals Destoryed buildings in Gaza Palestinians Israel
- Location: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- City: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001AG4F8ET
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Once a residential and commercial complex, a destroyed building in Gaza City got an artistic makeover by Ali al-Jabali, who turned it into his own gallery depicting life after the war.
In his exhibition, "Dreamers among the rubble", Jabali painted 10 portraits to reflect on the difficulties endured by Palestinians living in the besieged enclave.
"I drew a group of portraits that express the life and the suffering that the human lives," he explained.
In August 2014, Israeli air bombardment hit the "Italian Compound" which was once an elegant 15-storey building including a mall and residential apartments. It was unclear why it was targeted.
Built at the beginning of the century, the building was a hub for cafes and social life in Gaza.
Coming back to see Jabali's artwork brought bittersweet memories for Nada Radwan and her husband Mustafa Radwan, who once lived in the building-turned-exhibition.
Mustafa, father of four, says people in Gaza are still searching for what reminds them of how life looked like before the war.
"The paintings are very expressive. They took me five years back in time," he said.
Thousands of homes in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged in the most prolonged Israeli-Palestinian fighting that took place in the summer of 2014. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said nearly 540,000 people had been displaced in Gaza.
The exhibition took Jabali six months to be completed. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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