Weapons for Rafah

200x210cm, Acryl on canvas

Artist's Intention

The painting "Cyborg Pigeon over Rafah" serves as a powerful visual protest against the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. The artwork aims to highlight the suffering and despair of the civilian population, especially women and children, who make up more than half of the casualties in the current offensive. This stark fact underscores the extreme suffering and injustice of the conflict.

The depiction of the pigeon as a cyborg with a rocket launcher emphasizes the irony and horror of war: a traditional symbol of peace turned into a weapon. This transformation reflects the grim reality that even the most innocent elements can be corrupted and misused in warfare.

Choosing Rafah as the setting is particularly significant. Rafah is a refuge for many fleeing violence from other parts of the Gaza Strip, symbolizing both hope and the fragility of this hope amidst a war zone. In this context, the painting sharply criticizes the disproportionate civilian casualties and the documented war crimes, including the deliberate targeting and destruction of humanitarian vehicles.

My intention with this work is to draw attention to the disproportionately high number of civilian casualties and severe human rights violations. Compared to all other Western military operations in the past three decades, this conflict has an alarmingly high rate of civilian deaths. The deliberate destruction of humanitarian organization vehicles is just one of many documented war crimes that exacerbate the conflict and the suffering of the civilian population.