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Newry Library is currently hosting an exhibition of paintings by renowned Jewish-Israeli artist Zohar documenting the experience of, and offering a hand of friendship to the Palestinian people.
Zohar was born in Kazakhstan in 1945 but he has lived and worked in London since 1987.
This exhibition was started in 2017. Belonging to and growing up in Israel afforded Zohar an informed position to witness the 1967 Six Day War and subsequent occupation of territories and the ongoing and increasing displacement of Palestinian citizens. Witnessing the chaos and brutality inflicted on a civilian population by an ever more confident and belligerent military power caused him to engage with organisations and movements attempting to halt such inhumanity and persecution. In the end he left Israel and dissociated himself with the actions and direction of that state.
As Zohar explains the "Palestinian Paintings are born of an anger and frustration, not only to events in the Middle East over fitty years ago, but to the continued and ongoing fear, humiliation, horror and brutalism experienced by ordinary Palestinians on a daily, regular, recurring and current basis."
The collection of paintings illustrate all to well the everyday experiences of the Palestinian people in a somewhat surreal manner. Children feature heavily, their innocent youth contrasting dramatically with what is essentially a war zone.
The exhibition is visiting all 32 counties of Ireland and is in Newry Library throughout March.
