17/01/2024
For years, children in occupied Palestine have been born beneath the shadow of war, bouncing between motherly compassion and enemy fire, resistance and surrender, play and death as they grow up.
Inspired by the drawings of a Palestinian girl named Mona, who lost 26 family members in Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in 2008, writer and activist Abdullah Aytekin took on the task of sending resources such as paper, pencils, and paint of schools around the region.
His goal was to allow children to paint their experiences in Gaza and what they observed, as well as to chronicle their testimony.
These paintings, which have been under Aytekin’s protection since 2008, will be accessible to the public as a part of the ‘’Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Child Painter’s Exhibition’’ held by The Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications.
The exhibition, which features 266 pieces of art, takes visitors into the minds and hearts of Gazan children, many of whom are no longer with us, allowing them to experience their sorrow, see their hopes, and hear their stories.
This is a message from the world of the children we were unable to raise; a message that is waiting to be heard from a place where bravery and innocence intertwine, where life, hope, and fight against injustice grow.
BULLETPROOF DREAMS: GAZA CHILDREN’S PAINTING EXHIBITION
29 DECEMBER 2023 - 29 JANUARY 2024
TAKSIM SQUARE
