From the rubble of destruction.. Gaza's children revive the art of mosaic to document heritage and confront the effects of war

The Culture and Free Thought Association in the Gaza Strip has revived the mosaic workshop activity, which was forcibly halted during the past months of war. This step targets children and adolescents, seeking to inspire them, discover their hidden talents, and transform them into a tangible reality through a timeless art form.

This artistic activity prominently features a complete reliance on the remaining resources that survived the bombing, where the rubble and stones of destroyed homes form the primary basis for creating the artworks. Participants collect stones from the debris and reshape them into artistic pieces that tell stories of steadfastness and survival.

Artistic sources reported that the process begins with training children through intensive courses covering precise mosaic techniques. Visual artist Mohammed Abu Lahya explained that this field requires great patience and extreme precision, as preparing and training a child takes months to ensure mastery of execution.

The training within the workshop is based on Palestinian cultural heritage, by simulating traditional scenes dating back to before 1948. These scenes vary to include images of the Palestinian farmer, the woman in embroidered dress, olive trees, and sea scenes that reinforce national identity in the hearts of the young ones.

The initiators of the project consider mosaic to be a sustainable art that maintains its beauty despite the fluctuations of time and erosion factors. The murals created serve as visual historical documents, aiming to immortalize Palestinian memory and protect it from extinction amidst the difficult conditions experienced by the Strip.

However, the initiative faces immense challenges related to the scarcity of raw materials and the loss of essential tools needed for cutting and installation. Local sources indicated the absence of cement, which prompted artists to innovate by grinding and mixing bricks to provide alternatives that enable them to fix the artworks on walls.

Kinana Ramadan, a 14-year-old girl, found in this art a means of psychological release after being injured in a bombing that targeted her family's home. Kinana says that her involvement in mosaic assembly helped her overcome her physical and psychological pain after months of being unable to move.

For her part, Enaya Abu Hadrous participates in the workshop to restore paintings by former artists and develop her creative abilities despite the lack of colors. Enaya emphasizes that the goal is to preserve Palestinian heritage and produce paintings in an acceptable manner that reflects the will to live despite incomplete tools.

Children in Gaza continue to transform the tragedies of war into aesthetic artworks brimming with life, defying the lack of resources and the blockade. This experience is a unique model in using art as a tool for cultural resistance and psychological therapy simultaneously, turning the ashes of destruction into colorful mosaics.

We extract stones from under the rubble and recycle them to fix them on walls as sustainable art that defies erosion and time.