Laila Shawa

if Galerie, Paris, co-incidences, 2010, another example exhibited

Gerard Houghton, "When She Dreams of Gaza: Laila Shawa", in: Canvas, Vol. 6, September/October 2010, p. 16 & p. 132 (detail), illustrations of another example in colour

Condition: This work is in very good condition.
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Political slogans

A native of Gaza, it is impossible for Laila Shawa not to be inspired by her surroundings; as a result Against the Wall is simultaneously a means of expression and an artistic achievement. In balancing colour and palette, and overlaying and repeating the forms to create a sense of depth and symmetry, Shawa's work is undeniably a work of art. Yet it takes inspiration from a typical Arab wall in its use of slogans, the simplistic style of the graffiti, the repeated stencils and the incorporation of the cartoon boy Hanthala. The political cartoonist Naji al-Ali's image of Hanthala is graffitied across Palestine, he is found on walls and reproduced on key chains, and is considered to be the visual representation of the Palestinian struggle. Thus this work is conceptually driven, politically motivated and aesthetically refined.

Against the Wall is an accurate representation of a middle-eastern wall, a highly visible and unmonitored means of expression.  A form of inner-city literacy, it is one of the ways in which artists, poets and even the common man can communicate their feelings and opinions however great or small, whether artistic or not, for others to witness and consider in their daily lives.

The artist's statement;

"The graffiti on the walls in Palestine, and particularly in Gaza during the uprising against Israel occupation, was a result of the banning of any kind of media by the Israelis, such as newspapers, radio or television to the Palestinian's. Therefore the Palestinian's had to resort to using the Walls of their city to communicate with each other, sometimes calling for resistance or civil disobedience, and at times actually praising or denouncing a particular situation. My use of the repeated figure of "Hanthala" is a reference to the large number of children killed in the last brutal attack on Gaza in 2009 by the Israeli air force . This work is not your usual inter-city literacy, as seen in other Middle Eastern cities."