Jaffa Exhibition Showcases Art From Gaza Border Communities Devastated by Hamas Attack

An exhibition titled "Voices of Gaza Border Residents" is currently on display at the Amiad exhibition center in Jaffa, featuring the work of 75 artists from the Western Negev region, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The exhibition, which runs until October 8, 2026, was curated by Iris Elhanani and includes pieces by both professional and amateur artists from Sderot, Ofakim, and approximately 20 kibbutzim and moshavim, including Beeri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Nirim, Erez, Zikim, Netiv Ha'asara, Magan, Gvulot, and Yahini.

The collection includes works by artists who were killed on or after October 7. Among them are miniature kibbutz landscapes by Aviv Atsili, a member of the security group of Kibbutz Nir Oz who died in combat, and footage of Hamas paragliders landing in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, filmed by photojournalist Roi Idan, who was killed that day with his wife Smadar Idan. The exhibition also features a metal bird sculpture by Haim Peri, a resident of Nir Oz who was taken hostage and killed in captivity, and colorful papier-mâché works by Eliko Reichenstein from Kfar Aza.

A group of elderly women from eight kibbutzim created a detailed tapestry depicting their communities, with images of fields, red-roofed houses, and wheat sheaves. Other works include a blue-toned kibbutz landscape by Ziva Jelin from Kibbutz Beeri, and paintings of red anemones, plowed fields, and sunset rays.

"The goal is to show the richness of art that exists in the Western Negev, to present the voices of artists who continue to create, and of artists who are no longer with us," said curator Iris Elhanani. "These works are not only a testament to memory but also an expression of resilience, hope, and the continuity of the creative community in the south, which has continued to create art even in the last three years." The exhibition combines idyllic pre-war landscapes with testaments to the tragedy and is open to the public in Jaffa.