Gaza 2023-4, Nightfall in Gaza

Tea-wash, watercolour, gold ink & black ink on wasli paper, 21.6 x 14.9 cm, Artist’s Collection

Night has fallen in this fourth painting in the Gaza 2023 series. Although it’s quite late, the benevolent simurgh of Persian mythology still tries to find a way out as it flies above the continuing bombardment. Flowers symbolize the children that are no more. Or perhaps they hide the ones who are still alive. (Only time will tell.)

Below the creature some flowers still grow, or drown in the red waves and gas clouds the simurgh is trying to escape from. Red clouds that were within the oval in Gaza 2023-3 are now outside, surrounding it. I used mostly red and yellow for the inside of the oval—representing the fire, blood, and death of bombardment. Again, I included Arabic phrases to represent the continuing faith of the Gazans.