Ramallah Art Fair confronts Gaza genocide and occupation through Palestinian resistance art

In the wake of the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip and daily attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the fifth edition of the Ramallah Art Fair emerges not merely as an exhibition, but as a confrontation with the Palestinian reality, with the title: Narratives Under Occupation.

Held at the Zawyeh Gallery in Ramallah until 29 March, the art fair brings together 42 artists from across occupied Palestine and the occupied Golan Heights to navigate a landscape of displacement, identity, and profound loss. 

Through diverse art forms, these artists document the scars of oppression using their own tools of expression in a collective act of resistance that prioritises audience engagement. 

'Narratives Under Occupation'

For Ziad Anani, the founder of Zawyeh Gallery and curator of the fair, the theme was not a preconceived framework; instead, the artworks themselves asserted their own narrative. It was the artists' raw output that dictated the exhibition's direction, rather than the theme being imposed on their work. 

"The artists' submissions, all of which reflected the experience of living under occupation, explored the personal stories and the deep connection between the artist's work and their environment," Ziad tells The New Arab. 

Ziad is relieved that the fair has overcome significant hurdles, particularly shipping delays caused by Israeli closures and checkpoints.

These logistical barriers highlight the fragmented geography Palestinians must navigate, where moving art across borders and internal divides remains an ongoing challenge.

"Even before the genocide in Gaza, showcasing Gazan artists in the West Bank was fraught with difficulty and risk," Ziad adds. 

"There was always that underlying tension: Will the work arrive? Will it be seized? Now, the situation is critical. So many artists in Gaza have seen their studios levelled and their life's work reduced to rubble," he adds.

"For those who managed to save their pieces and carry them into Egypt, that art is a miracle. This reality underscores why distributing Palestinian art globally is no longer just about exposure; it is a vital act of documentation and survival." 

Shafik Radwan (1941), the eldest artist in the exhibition, lost his home and all his artistic archives to the destruction in Gaza. 

However, a fragment of his legacy survives: since 2015, the gallery in Ramallah has held a portion of his work. Fearing the loss of his art to future Israeli military incursions, Shafik had insisted the gallery keep several pieces in safekeeping. One of these preserved works is now featured in the fair's Rare Section. 

The fair introduced the Rare Section during the fourth edition. A section that Ziad believes is vital for the local Palestinian public to encounter rare works by iconic artists they might never have the opportunity to see in person. 

Following last year's debut of Ismail Shammout's prints, this year features Samia Halaby, whose work the fair is exhibiting in Ramallah for the very first time. The section also showcases the influential Kamal Boullata and the late Vladimir Tamari. 

"While we see strong interest from international collectors, our primary goal is for the local audience to connect with this calibre of art. By engaging with the history of these cultural pioneers through this section, visitors experience a profound, emotional connection to the legacy of Palestinian art," Ziad remarks. 

Cross-generational dialogue

The impact Ziad envisions extends to the younger generation of creators featured in the fair. 

Heba Tannous (1995), a Ramallah-based artist and architect who is participating with six paintings titled The City From Above, told The New Arab that the exhibition serves as a vital platform for cross-generational dialogue.

"Each artist brings their own perspective and lens to the work," Heba explains.

"It is essential to have a space where these varied experiences and forms of expression can converge and enter into a collective conversation."

Heba emphasises that, in an environment with severe scarcity of public platforms, the fair serves as a vital window into artists' studios. 

"Our art is deeply rooted in the local experience and the specific lens through which we view our surroundings," she shares.

"Therefore, the Palestinian community should be the primary audience. Once we establish this solid foundation at home, it naturally opens the door for broader, more diverse exposure."

The City From Above offers Heba's "eagle-eye" view of Ramallah, providing a straightforward representation of the urban reality. 

The series captures the raw architecture of daily life: the refugee camps, streets, homes, and local shops. 

Avoiding a romanticised lens, Heba stays as close as possible to the narrative of Palestinian existence. 

"Unfortunately, this life is constantly hemmed in by the realities of occupation, yet it remains deeply contemporary," she explains.

"My goal was to explore the modern Palestinian identity, what it looks like right now, and how we navigate our lives in this current moment."

The diaspora lens

While Heba Tannous observes the city from a bird's-eye view, Egypt-based artist Mira Shihadeh (1971) approaches Palestine through the lens of the diaspora, reimagining the homeland from afar. 

"My art is simply a reflection of the Palestinian people. I want to be almost deceptive, creating something that looks beautiful from a distance but reveals a deeper, more unsettling story when you look closer," Mira tells The New Arab.

"I want the viewer to be drawn in by the beauty, only to realise that there is much more going on beneath the surface. Perhaps that is how we address the narrative of occupation: by painting a beautiful landscape that, upon closer inspection, is scattered with checkpoints."

Mira's work explores the intersection of politics, class, and gender, positioning the female body as a powerful site of resistance and agency.

Her approach is deeply influenced by 20 years as a yoga instructor, which infuses her figurative paintings with a profound understanding of movement and the mind-body connection.

From her position in the diaspora, Mira views the fair's persistence under siege with a sense of "humble distance," recognising that in an environment of closed borders and a halted art market, the very act of gathering becomes a form of resistance. 

"Respect," she remarked, reflecting on the weight of the moment. "I wonder what the mood is like there. Are people actually excited for an exhibition?"

Her curiosity underscores the complex emotional landscape of the event, where the local community's response to art in a time of crisis is often a bittersweet mixture of profound relief and heavy-heartedness.

A challenge that Ziad is aware of. He notes that travel restrictions and ongoing tensions have halted the flow of international tourists and collectors. 

However, despite these hurdles, staying in Ramallah is non-negotiable for Ziad. The gallery has become a vital cultural hub where artists meet, debate, and create. 

"Culturally, we are part of the nation's fabric. Ramallah is the source of our production; without it, our global reach would not exist," he shares.  

Today, Zawyeh Gallery operates as a global hub, anchored by its creative heart in Ramallah.

From Dubai, Ziad helps extend that vision outward, connecting Palestinian artists with collectors across Europe, the Americas, and the Gulf, and channelling international reach back toward sustaining the gallery's work at home.

Tala Halawa is a Palestinian journalist, media trainer, and lecturer with 15+ years in storytelling, podcasts, editorial leadership, and multi-genre content creation

Follow her on Instagram: @talahalawa