For Palestine.
I haven't been able to get the invasion of Gaza off my mind. Can't forget the images I've seen of so much suffering and the deaths of innocents, that photo of children's little feet sticking out from rubble that crushed them and now skeletal children starving while Israel's military prevents hundreds of aid trucks filled with food and medicine from entering.
I want to reiterate that my anger is directed at the govt of Israel, not Jewish people. Very many Jewish people are actually leading the cry for a permanent ceasefire, they know what this kind of ethnic cleansing leads to.
I've spoken out, I've donated hundreds between the UNRWA and Doctors Without Borders but none of it seems like enough as the killing of innocent civilians continues. So, now I'm turning to art. I had this idea in mind for a couple months and at first the depression over this situation overwhelmed any inspiration I had, but I finally finished.
I simply needed somewhere to put my emotions about Gaza, and wanted to contribute something to help keep the message alive. This idea has been on my mind for months and to me, wings have always been a symbol of freedom, of liberation, and so I thought they'd be an appropriate symbol here.
The kites are important as well.
They're inspired by this poem by a Palestinian poet who was killed in this current invasion:
“IF I MUST DIE”
BY REFAAT ALAREER
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
~
You are free to print this image out for protest and personal use. Sharing on social media is also permitted, please credit me and don't remove or alter the watermarks. No commercial or for-profit use.
To see a bit of the painting time lapse, I put that on the clock app here: https://www.tiktok.com/@fancyfairyangela/video/7347087501795872046?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7252895192945722926