St. John’s Church, Waterloo, London to be held from 1st to 11th February 2011
An exhibition of artwork made by children from Gaza caught up in Israel’s 2008/2009 bombardment is coming to St John’s Church in February. Around 50 sometimes heart-rending painted, drawn and crayoned pictures express the children’s reaction to the assault, the deaths and trauma that they witnessed and suffered and the aftermath. Some of the pictures also reveal their dreams of a peaceful Gaza.
The pictures were made both during Israel’s ‘Operation Cast Lead’ and in the following months. They were drawn as part of a programme of Psycho-Social Help for the Traumatised Children, or by children who were specifically asked to set out their feelings for the benefit of Westerners’ understanding.
The exhibition has been put together by Rod Cox who was part of the Viva Palestina aid convoy to Gaza in early March 2009. He stayed on through March and April to work with school children on this project. Younger children, taking part in the psycho-social therapy project, and older children at a girl’s High School were asked to illustrate what they had actually experienced and what they hoped for in the future.
The exhibition contains DVD interview footage with two of the young artists, 12 year old children, Mohammed and Ibrahim, who both witnessed the destruction of their own homes. In Mohammed’s case he saw his father killed and 5 younger siblings and uncles buried alive under the rubble of their home. The interviews serve to personalise the reality of the experience expressed in their artwork.
The exhibition was to travel from Gaza in a van specially painted by the children, but it was impossible to bring the vehicle out. Rod Cox carried the work out himself. The artists are using the Internet to follow the progress of their work around the UK.
The visitors’ book from the exhibition at Waterloo will be made available to the people of Gaza, in the hope that the signatures and messages will tell them that they are not forgotten.
“St John’s is pleased to be able to host this exhibition. It’s part of the church’s commitment to finding a deeper understanding of urgent issues of peace and justice in the world.” The Reverend Canon Giles Goddard.
Ends
For further information please contact:
James Lusted, ‘Loss of Innocence’ Exhibition Co-ordinator for London.
