REPETITION = RESISTANCE.

AuthorDeva, Saumya
PositionPersonal insights into art series about struggle of female activists in Palestine - Personal account

This series is titled "Repetition = Resistance" and was inspired by my first-ever visit to the Middle East, and specifically Palestine, under SIPA's PalTrek organization. I heard first hand diverse Palestinian narratives of struggle and resistance, but none were as remarkable as those of women. It was when I visited the home of Manal al-Tamimi, a Palestinian activist from the village of Nabi Saleh, that I was able to understand the true sacrifices of female activists and mothers like Manal. Despite threats to her life, she continuously ensured that the Palestinian youth of her community sustained pride in their identities as they resisted the overwhelming plight of occupation. Her unrelenting energy alone is true resistance.

This series of screen prints is inspired by the strength and sacrifices of Palestinian women such as Manal al-Tamimi. The images feature the keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. I rendered an original photo of Manal al-Tamimi wearing this scarf and left out all facial details to beg the viewer to question true Palestinian identity. The anonymity of the image also lets the viewer see this as not only Manal al-Tamimi, but any woman exercising resistance. The Arabic calligraphy is a famous poem by the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, which reads, "On this land there's what's worth living." I found these words to be truly representative of the Palestinian resistance movement because the sustained Palestinian identity remains the greatest tool against continued oppression.

Additionally, I found barbed wire in nearly every corner in Palestine and Israel. To me, there is no other item aside from barbed wire more...

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