Ni'lin

I have a confession to make. I am an artist. I am by no means an expert on Middle Eastern politics - which isn't to say that I don't know a lot or have very strong opinions on the matter, but these illustrations I've made and am finishing are a reflection on my observations. I was attracted to this activism by the cause of fighting against injustice, but I pursued it for the people and the images they make in that awesome landscape. I have sketches upon sketches that are awaiting me in the mail from over there. I make them as I experience life - as I'm waiting for an action to start, taking to the Shabab in Sheikh Jarrah, sitting on a bus, lazing around the apartment listening to someone bring life to a guitar. My work exists within the society that surrounds me and the society inspires me to create. With my more overtly political work, I can only hope to show people the disturbing reality I've seen - to let them know that beyond all the jargon, there is a human issue that is both beautiful and horrible. Where we go from here, what you can take personally from this work, I can't know - art is an interpretive force. Perhaps emotion can lead to reason.

And now, the next in the series; Ni'lin. (I'd say it's worth it to see it big.)