Landscapes from Under the Rubble: Destroyed Artworks from Gaza
Curated by Linda Abdullah
Co-Prosperity, 3219 S Morgan Street, Chicago
Opening Friday, October 4, 6-10PM
Open Hours:
Saturday October 5, 12 PM - 6 PM
Wednesday October 9, 12 PM - 6 PM
Thursday October 10, 12 PM - 6 PM
Friday October 11, 12 PM - 6 PM
Saturday October 12, 10 AM - 2 PM
Sunday October 13, 12 PM - 6 PM
Monday October 14, 12 PM - 6 PM
“Landscapes from Under the Rubble” is an exhibition featuring eight Palestinian artists from Gaza. Their work exhibition encompasses work created prior to October 2023 and destroyed by the bombing, work produced by artists who were able to escape Gaza in 2024, and new works being created daily under the relentless attacks by the Israeli occupying forces.
In the face of the destruction of their homes, studios, and galleries, as well as the loss of lifetimes of work, countless artists in Gaza have been compelled to flee continuous massacres. Some artists in this show were able to escape through Rafah Crossing, while others managed to rescue their families but were unable to leave themselves. Many are currently residing in tents with their families, awaiting ceasefire, a pause in the genocide that’s just been postponed until at least after the US election.
“This is our only window to tell the world: we are still alive,” says Salem, a visual artist and professor at Alaqsa University. He began posting daily sketches on Facebook as a means of documenting diaries from a war zone. Other individuals are organizing art workshops for children and mothers as a form of respite from the daily trauma they endure.
Since 2007, Gaza has been subjected to a siege that has restricted Palestinian movement and crippled the economy, leaving a 360-kilometer square of land isolated from the rest of the world. The blockade severely limited art funding and materials, forcing Palestinian artists in Gaza to be resourceful with whatever resources they could find, often hindering their ability to attend their own exhibitions.
Since October 7, the attacks on Gaza have deliberately targeted hospitals, schools, universities, bakeries, and cultural spaces. Shababeek, a hub for the art community that housed a collection of over 20,000 works was completely destroyed by Israeli occupying forces in April 2024. Eltiqa’, Gaza’s first contemporary art space, was similarly destroyed, along with all the studios and artworks it housed. By attempting to destroy Palestinian culture, the occupation seeks to render impossible not only the reconstruction or buildings, but also the reconstruction of ways of knowing, ways of expressing.
Artists who have managed to escape Gaza are deeply traumatized by the horrors they have endured. Some have been able to reflect on their experiences, while others are paralyzed by creative block. Those who are unable to leave are living in tents, unsure if they’ll see the next day. Some use pomegranate, charcoal, tea, and hibiscus stains to leave their mark on a piece of ruled paper.
This exhibition serves as a documentation of the experiences of eight artists over the course of nearly a year of ongoing genocide. “The life of a Gazan artist is not easy, as we are often isolated from the world,” Salem elucidates. “However, art serves as a bridge between us and other people.”
Artists Bios:
Mohamed Abusal @mabusal
Born in Gaza in 1976. Although a graduate in finance and management, Abusal retrained as an artist in 2000 and attended many workshops to develop and refine his artistic skills. Abusal exhibited his work internationally in countries like France, where he has held several solo exhibitions, United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, and United Arab Emirates. In 2005 he was awarded the Charles Aspry Prize for Contemporary Art. He is a founding member of Eltiqa’ artist collective in Gaza City. Abusal’s stoic manner and diligent approach – in style and technique – make him one of Palestine’s brightest talents.
Shareef Sarhan @shareef_sarhan
Born in 1976, Sarhan is a Palestinian artist, professional photographer, and freelance designer. He started his career in 1995 after graduating from YMCA, Gaza, Palestine with a degree in Fine Arts. Sarhan holds a diploma in arts from the University of ICS in the United States. Sarhan’s artworks have been exhibited in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and internationally in Jordan, United Kingdom, France, United States of America, Italy, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. He is a founding member of the Windows from Gaza for Contemporary Art group (Shababeek) and an active member of the Association of Palestinian Artists.
RANA BATRAWI @ranabatrawi
Rana Bartrawi (b.1983, Palestine) is an established artist and an art teacher based in Gaza, Palestine. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Al Aqsa University, Gaza, in 2007 and has since developed a fantastic catalogue of work – primarily sculptures and reliefs – drawing inspiration from Gaza’s rich cultural and archaeological heritage and recent history.
Batrawi participated in many group shows in Palestine and internationally. Batrawi remains passionate about introducing art to women and children and has conducted many sculpture workshops with support from the Palestine Cultural Fund and the AM Al Qattan Foundation. She is also a committed volunteer participating in many fairs and on art panels. In 2023, she became a jury member of the Ismail Shammout Fine Art Award, Dar al-Kalima University, Bethlehem, Palestine. She currently in residency at Collège de France pavilion.
Sohail Salem @sohail.salem
Born in Gaza in 1974, Salem is a visual artist and a professor of fine arts at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. Salem received his B.A. in Fine Arts from Al-Aqsa University in 1999. He secured several prestigious art residencies in Jordan, Switzerland and France. Salem is a co-founder of Eltiqa' Group of Contemporary Arts where he was a supervisor of the contemporary art program GCAP. He participated in many local and international exhibitions and produced four solo exhibitions
RAED ISSA @raed.issa.art
Raed Issa is a contemporary artist born in Al Bureij refugee camp, Gaza, in 1975. Issa holds a Diploma in Computer Science from Al Aqsa University, Gaza. He is laureate of the Cité des Arts fellowship in Paris in 2011. He is a founder of the Fine Art Program of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza and a founding member of the Gaza Contemporary Art collective Eltiqa'. His art explores the themes of vulnerability, loss and bereavement of living under siege and war. He has been exhibited in Palestine, Jordan, Switzerland, Japan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Australia, Ireland and at Documenta fifteen. Much of his art work was destroyed during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014.
DENA MATAR @mattardena
Born in Gaza in 1985, Matar is a Palestinian artist known for her dynamic use of color and line to offer an optimistic perspective on life in Gaza. She earned her degree in Fine Art and Education from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza in 2007. Despite the profound challenges of living under siege, Matar has made significant contributions to Gaza’s artistic scene through her paintings and by mentoring young artists. She is a member of the Eltiqa’ artist collective in Gaza City and has participated in numerous local exhibitions and workshops, collaborating with organizations such as the A.M. Qattan Foundation and the French Cultural Centre. Matar’s work has gained international recognition, with exhibitions in Geneva, France, and the Mosaic Rooms in London as part of the ‘Occupied Space’ exhibition in 2008. In 2012, she was selected for an artist residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Critics have likened her vibrant and imaginative style to that of Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, yet it remains uniquely her own.
BASEL ELMAQOSUI @basel_elmaqosui
Born in Gaza in 1971, Elmaqosui is a visual artist and freelance photographer. He is a graduate of the Arts Program in Gaza in 1995. He is a recipient of multiple awards such as: the Charles Asprey Award for Palestinian artists by A.M Qattan Foundation, the bronze price for the best photo from the Union of Arab photographers, Germany and the Oscar of Nile Culture biennale in Cairo in 2009. Elmaqosui presented his work in 7 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions. He worked as an art teacher and is a founding member of the collective Shababeek for Contemporary Art.
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