Gaza Canvas Print

Gorgeous calligraphy canvas print by Nawaf Soliman as part of the Cities in the Heart exhibit. 

Numbered giclée on wood-stretched canvas

Gaza was the city that gave Palestine its name; Gaza was the capital of the Philistine tribes who came from the Greek island of Crete and merged with the Canaanites.

In the summer of 2013, a fisherman cast his nets into the Gaza Sea and pulled out a bronze statue weighing 1653 pounds. The statue was of the god Apollo, the god of art, beauty, and prophecy for the Greeks. Gaza awaits that art and beauty to be discovered and saved. According to the Holy Quran, Jacob suffered from legendary patience from his ailments for 40 years. And when he bathed in the water of the Gaza Sea and then dried his body upon the sand, God cured him of his maladies. To date Gaza remains patient, seeking help from the sea between wars, and waiting for recovery.

Gaza was also a major stop on the incense route, which was reached by camel caravans coming from Yemen and the Arabian Gulf, and by boats sailing from Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus to purchase incense, perfumes, spices, citrus fruits, and pottery. So, Gaza became known as the city of incense, and her kitchens were famed for their fragrant spices.

This painting contains the three letters of the city in sponge pen style. Because Gaza is under siege and undergoing violence, the artist chose to use the colors of the Palestinian flag to reflect the optimism and resilience of those living in Gaza.