Palestine fundraiser celebrates art and poetry | Photos

Last week, a group of dedicated local volunteers from Celebrate Palestine Southwest gathered with guests and community leaders for the launch of art and poetry exhibition Sumud: Voices from Palestine.

The event was hailed a great success by all who attended, with Wadandi traditional owner, Bill Webb, welcoming a full house to the event at the new Margaret River Circus School.

Sumud is a tribute to Palestinian art and culture, featuring independent artists as well as marking the first Australian exhibition from the Naji Art Collective, a new international collaboration of Palestinian creatives which supports Palestinians and their families with cultural programming.

The term ‘Sumud’ is an Arabic term and Palestinian concept, woven with ideas of personal and collective resilience and steadfastness.

More than $10,000 was raised by participating artists and the Naji collective.

Almost 200 people attended over two days, including a ticketed showcase event on Saturday night and a free viewing day on Sunday.

The evening event featured a personal story by Palestinian refugee, Camelia Femia, a keynote speech by Senator Fatima Payman, works by eight Palestinian artists, recorded poems by two young poets from Gaza, ceramic and glass work by three local artists, traditional embroidery (tatreez), and music by DJ Laila.

“I’m humbled by the response from the community to Sumud, our group’s first art event,” Celebrate Palestine South West member and co-curator, Ned Reilly said.

“It was an honour to bring some of the best contemporary Palestinian visual artists to Margaret River and see so much enthusiasm in a full room – with locals and visitors enjoying stimulating conversations and great vibes.

“I thank the artists for trusting us with their work, those that donated food and drink, our fantastic volunteers, and the wonderful South West and Perth community for coming out with open hearts and making the weekend an enriching tribute to our friends in Palestine and the global diaspora.”

Featured artists included Adelaide-based graphic artist Ahmed ElKhalidi, who represented Palestine at the International Biennial of Contemporary Art 2007 in Spain, Mohammed Sabaaneh (Ramallah, the West Bank), 2024 winner of the coveted EWK Prize for political cartoonists, Dena Mattar (Gaza, Palestine) professor of fine arts from Gaza, Nidal El-Khairy (Amman, Jordan), Wedad Al Nasser (Amman, Jordan), Rim Aoude (Montreal, Canada), Ahmed Al Daalsa (Gaza, Palestine), Hala Aqel (Gaza, Palestine), Saleh El-Khalidi, Dana “Deen” Kafina”, and Safa el Samad (Melbourne).

To find out more, follow @celebratepalestinesouthwest