“Cana ou la conscience du monde” or “Cana where the conscious of the world” was made by Mona Trad Dabaji in memorial to the massacre that was committed by the Israeli army in Cana, Lebanon in 1996. Painted with her classic outlines and almost flat background, the work is emblematic of the artist while addressing the atrocity of the time. It was included in the benefit exhibition “Qana wedding” for the victims.

Considered one of the leading modern Egyptian artists, Gazbia Sirry’s career spans over 50 years and is characterized by an extraordinary versatility, emotional expression and use of color with vivid and bold brushstrokes. One of the most important aspects of her work is her ongoing commitment to social and political commentary. As a memorial to the Cana Massacre in South Lebanon, “The Innocents,” has a fluidity in its gestural lines that could evoke movements in a group of people

A socially and politically committed artist, Dia al Azzawi’s work is nourished by popular culture and folkloric mythologies, contemporary wars and the violence embedded in the history of Iraq. Halfway between fig­u­ra­tive and abstract, his work is at the same time ref­er­en­tial and dec­o­ra­tive, expres­sive and open, as is seen in “From Akka (Palestine) death came to Tal el Zaatar” (Lebanon). This work is part of a series that memorializes a massacre of Palestinians that was published in “Illustrated poems for Tel el Zaatar” with text by Moroccan writer, Tahar Ben Jelloun.

Created in exile by Youssef Ghazzawi and then exhibited in the Qatar Biennale, “Salute to Naji el Ali” has symbolic imagery that references socio-political discourses. A famous Palestinian cartoonist, Naji el Ali was known for the political criticism of the Arab regimes and Israel in his works. Before he was assassinated in exile, El Ali created the character Handala, a young witness of the events depicted in the illustrations, who subsequently became an icon of Palestinian defiance. Ghazzawi inscribes on the back of this work that the vertical shape is Handala (Palestine) with his head surrounded by sunflower petals that follow the sun, illuminating the darkness. His other symbols are crafted in a style that is both child-like and surreal, such as the upside down house, allegorically referencing instability and displacement. The sober mixed media on cardboard uses the color grey that is “our Arab time before we find our true identity”.

Rakan Alyousif uses the image of Handala, an icon of Palestinian defiance, from the well-known Palestinian cartoonist and political critic, Naji al-Ali. The drawing emulates the original cartoon with the addition of graphic elements, possibly a map of Palestine, that Handala appears to be assembling together.

In “Untitled” (The Wounded Lion of Babylon), Omran Al Kaysi paints a lion injured by three spears each of which represents the separate wars which occurred within the last thirty years in Iraq. Symbolic of the country struggling to survive and heal the wounds from those wars, the tragedy and the determination of lion is apparent as he tries to move forward.

Known for the boldness in his work coupled with political and social commentary, Hassan Jouni’s pieces depict subject matter that is both lyrical and narrative. His usage of color is expressive of inner emotions or possibly symbolic in meaning. The strong figure in the foreground raises his arm high while the sun rises behind him. Further evoking the idea of rebirth are the figures emerging from their tombs or rafts. Bathed in warm colors from the light of the sun, they feel as if they are stepping into the dawn of a new era.

The focus of Huda Naamani’s writing and painting varies from social, political to spiritual subject matter. Made for the Qana benefit exhibition, the “Qana Tree” was created around the same time as a large retrospective she had at UNESCO Beirut with similarly painted abstract works. In this painting, the central tree-like object reaches outward from the center growing or exploding with reds, oranges, and touches of green

Well-known for his portraiture, the expressionist work of Safwat Abbas Fahmy gives viewers a feeling of drama. In “Untitled” the figure is composed at the bottom of the canvas with halo-like colors around his darkened head, while the white paint above him is crisscrossed, energetically layered by a thick brush

Depicting the Palestinian plight, Ahed Izhiman works in both photography and illustration. In this symbolic illustration entitled “Gaza”, the detailed and intricately drawn lines show a young girl behind the apartheid wall releasing doves with her long hair swirling around the picture.

Known for the boldness in his work coupled with political and social commentary, Jouni’s pieces depict subject matter that is both lyrical and narrative. His usage of color is expressive of inner emotions or possibly symbolic in meaning. The lines in the faces of the man and the woman in “Untitled” roar with a determination and fierceness while the barbwire that makes up the kaffieh insinuates the battle is not over, that they will continue to fight to return to their homeland.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in both his depiction of the suffering and the medium of his work, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present day Lebanon. Her etchings with hand colored aquatint, entitled Ecce Homo, draw parallels with the past and the cyclical nature of history.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Using collaged mixed media, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present-day Lebanon. Inspired from street art and poster-like memorials “Martyr” questions what images of the dead mean to the living,  influencing choices and affecting obligations.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Using collaged mixed media, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present-day Lebanon. Filled with symbolism, “Buy or Sell” has a woman struggling with her head barely above water emphasizing that life still goes on even through the chaotic humanitarian situation.

Drawing inspiration from her native Beirut, Zena Assi’s work portrays the socio-cultural aspects and intense emotions of contemporary urban society such as migration and memory. Inspired by Goya in his depiction of suffering, Assi illustrates the corruption-made humanitarian crisis facing present-day Lebanon. In Memento Mori, she depicts an exhausted over-burdened woman, sitting next to a skeleton. An age-old artistic reference to the inevitability of death, Assi gives a contemporary and local twist on this classic depiction, adding layers of meaning both symbolically and literally with the collaged mixed media.