American YouTuber Ms Rachel, known for her educational content beloved by children all over the world, has curated an exhibition and sale of artworks created by children in Gaza.
The exhibition, called Colours That Survived, will go on display in New York City on Tuesday, at Chelsea’s Caelum Gallery. The artworks will be available to buy online until January 30 via non-profit organisation Artists Support.
Each artwork has been printed in an edition of 20 and is priced at $200 (Dh735). All proceeds will go to the young Palestinian artists.
“The drawings demonstrate astonishing concentration and creativity,” says Clara Zevi, co-founder and director of Artists Support, which organised the exhibition alongside Ms Rachel and The Voice of Hind Rajab film producers.
“They were made by children who have been living under siege for over two years,” Zevi tells The National. “These beautiful drawings illustrate what all children should have the right to, such as access to school and close family. I feel immensely proud to be part of this initiative and to work with an extraordinary group of collaborators.”
One of the artists, Ahmed, 12, hopes the exhibition will make people see him and his friends as “normal kids”.
“We are not just something people see on the news,” he says. “We are children with names, dreams and memories. We love football, drawing, laughing and playing. I hope when they see my drawings, they see us as children, just like their own, who want peace, love and a chance to live.”
Ahmed's drawing is a brightly coloured depiction of a child carrying all of his belongings including a house on his back.
While some pieces show the devastating realities of life in Gaza, others express hope for the future. For example, Aya has drawn a smiling sun with children holding hands on the beach with houses intact lined up behind them. Rama, meanwhile, has drawn a young girl happily walking to a school where the Palestinian flag waves proudly.
This is the latest initiative for Palestine from Artists Support, a charitable organisation that collaborates with creatives to raise awareness. In September, it helped organise the sale of $3,000 limited-edition bronze sculptures for Gaza by Dutch-Monegasque artist Adeline de Monseignat.
The sculptures, which were inspired by the watermelon seed, came in an edition of 25 and sold out within two days. All proceeds went to Heal Palestine, a US-registered non-profit that provides medical care and rehabilitation to children who have severe injuries, as well as emotional support for those who have suffered loss.
“There’s a sense that this project has touched people beyond the art world, resonating as a gesture of empathy and peaceful protest,” said de Monseignat. “And on a personal level, it is prompting me to think of further new ways to help.”
