Cork art exhibition inspired by children of Gaza

When friends Féile Butler, of Sligo, and Mohammed Timraz, of Gaza, began swapping images of children’s art over WhatsApp in June last year, they could not have known that what began as a simple exchange of paintings and drawings between the children of both families was soon to become an international phenomenon.

Struck by an image drawn by seven-year-old Shahed Al-Zaqzouq, of her pet cat bleeding outside her home after a missile attack, Féile knew instantly that this insight into daily life for Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable inhabitants had to be shared.

In collaboration with Mohammed, just four weeks later, the exhibition HeART Of Gaza debuted in The Weir Gallery, Sligo.

Featuring 55 framed pieces by 14 Palestinian artists, ranging in age from 3 to 17, the success of this first exhibition led to an invitation to exhibit at Electric Picnic, attracting international attention.

From there, HeART of Gaza has continued to tour both internationally and nationwide throughout Ireland.

Now, Home: The HeART Of Gaza is on exhibition at Dance Cork Firkin Crane.

Yvonne Coughlan, chair of the board at the arts centre, describes the project as “a profoundly moving exhibition in Crane Visual that speaks to the resilience, creativity, and spirit of its young artists”.

She added: “It invites everyone to experience its depth and beauty, offering a space for reflection, connection and conversation.

“All are welcome to come and engage with this work at Dance Cork Firkin Crane.”

Curated by Féile, Mohammed, and Dermot Browne, the exhibition features installation design by Eman Alkarajeh of Cork’s renowned Palestinian restaurant, IZZ Cafe.

Dermot included the word ‘Home’ in the title of HeART Of Gaza for the Cork showing, explaining: “I added the ‘Home’ aspect because I wanted to feel like these children’s artworks were arriving home and being safe there.”

Since its first showing to the public, the exhibition has expanded and Dermot says the Cork version is the most expansive version of the exhibition to date.

He notes: “There are a number of elements that come together here in this exhibition space inside Dance Cork Firkin Crane. There are approximately 50 of the original (printed) pieces of the children’s art from Gaza, but there are 11 of a larger format series of prints where we enlarged and paired double images of those same art pieces.

“Across the room, there are a series of objects that create the feeling and mood of a ‘home’. Were these objects from a previous time in Palestinian life, or are they the remaining objects of a domestic life now underneath the rubble?

“Added to this, we are privileged to have the first showing in Ireland of the works of Tayseer Barakat, one of Palestine’s best-known artists. These two printed works of the Gazan- born Barakat lend weight to, and blend beautifully with, the innocence of the children’s art.

“Stories of the children’s lives accompany the pieces, and even before I had finished hanging the show, the emotional impact of the whole space was apparent.”

The curator tells us this project is primarily a celebration of these young artists and their work, but poignantly points out that those walking through the exhibition will see that not all of the children whose work is on display have survived the bombardment of Gaza.

Dermot is very proud to be involved in bringing this exhibition to the people of Cork, but stresses that full credit must go to Féile and Mohammed, who brought HeART Of Gaza to life and whose continuous efforts keep the project going.

He also expresses much gratitude to Dance Cork Firkin Crane for their and accommodation in hosting the exhibition in this extended seven-week showing.

For his own part, Dermot speaks warmly about his experience of bringing the voices and lived experiences of these young Palestinian artists to Cork.

“I have enjoyed building and cherishing new friendships and relationships both across Cork city and from Cork to Gaza,” he said.

“A special mention goes to Eman and Izzadeen Alkarajeh, of IZZ Cafe, who both helped design the space and also provided some of their stellar food for the opening.

“Bringing Eman, a trained interior designer, on board to help design the look and feel of the gallery space just tied the whole project together.’’

Home: The HeART Of Gaza is open to the public free of charge and runs until Saturday, May 3. Further details can be found at www.dancecorkfirkincrane.ie.

Those wishing to donate aid to the children of Gaza can do so at We Are Not Alone - A GoFundMe campaign, set up by Mohammed Timraz to provide for his community and artists in Gaza: https://gofund.me/f8b3a47a

Visitors to the exhibition will also find A4 prints available to purchase for €20, the proceeds of which will also go to ‘The Artists Tent’ in Gaza.