Entanglement: Irises of Faqqua

At the heart of Palestinian society, a movement exists to conserve vulnerable ecosystems, treasured as a precious aspect of Palestine’s heritage. In the West Bank, the unique purple Faqqua irises bloom in the microclimate of the Faqqua mountain valley. Though their numbers dwindle, these blooms stand as a symbol of resistance and survival for the people of Palestine. Legend surrounding the flower includes the story of a goat herder, who has witnessed his goats eat everything but the irises in the valley, a fitting symbol for a people enduring amidst continual land grabs.

In this mural I have painted two clusters of Faqqua irises, representing the two remaining Palestinian enclaves of Gaza and the West Bank. Alongside them is the Palestinian Sunbird. This tiny, vibrant bird lives by the beaches of Gaza and the hills and valley of the West Bank, migrating each year to surrounding regions, free to come and go. This mural shows a brilliantly colored male looking longingly at his mate, a grey-brown sunbird.

At the base of the mural are abstract shapes. It appears to be a city but could be seen as a graveyard. Above it all, disembodied hands pull at tangled ribbons, clustered in a knot. Does tugging at the strands make the knot tighter or looser? It’s a question worth pondering for the sake of peace and the lives entwined on this land and beyond.