Louder than Words
Mixed Media on Panel
65cm X 49cm
I had just finished the sketch of the girl at Burj El-Barajneh and still had her face on my mind. I decided to paint a portrait of her and surround her with news, facts and statistics, focussing on the general state of neglect that Palestinian refugees live in here. The painting is in itself a product of active citizenship: my own. I came here to learn about situations I’ve only been told about, and I’ve already learned so much. But the painting also takes up the theme by being very focussed.
From my short experience volunteering at the camps, I realized that the refugees there were frequently talked about, all over the media, and in every day conversations around Lebanon. People say: “What a shame all the terrible things that happen to them,” shake their heads and go on with their lives. Others warn me about “them” or “there” even though who we are talking about aren’t abstract groups, but real, live people, like this little girl who rushed to give me hugs and kisses. That’s why I chose to focus on her, and the relationship we formed.
