Drawing the line for Palestine by Inga Bystram

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Exhibition Dates: 11th – 20th September 2024

Exhibition Opening: 11th September 2024, 18:00-20:00

 

 

 

The P21 Gallery is pleased to present a collection of artist Inga Bystram’s live sketches. During a time when it feels like the publics’ political voice is trying to be silenced and the general person seems to have less and less power, peaceful protests are one of the last ways in which people can express their political beliefs and dissatisfaction. In the UK however, this form of resistance has also been under harsh attack with the introduction of severe protest laws in April 2022. This clamp-down is even more severe when it comes to pro-Palestinian sentiments. 

 

Inga’s art aims to humanise protesters who have been repeatedly demonised and dehumanised in the mainstream press, depicted as violent ‘others’ in the UK. 

 

Peaceful protests are not only an unalienable right of citizens in exercising their political voice, they are also a vital way for communities to support each other whilst under attack. The pro-Palestine marches for many are not just a way of showing their support for the cause, but are also a way to try and self-sooth and cope with the atrocities being committed by Israel as well as other Western powers in Palestine, and around the globe. 

 

Inga’s work is a personal yet universal story of finding one’s own way to resist and support political causes. In the current climate, it is easy to feel isolated, overwhelmed and helpless.  Many of us feel this way and solidarity and resistance is not a one-size-fits-all course of action. For Inga, the most suitable way she has found to show her support for Palestine is through her art. This exhibition aims not only to bring awareness to the Palestinian cause but to encourage people to find whatever type of resistance works best for them, and not to succumb to voices trying to convince us that we are powerless. 

 

 

 

About the Artist

Inga Bystram is a watercolour artist who first gained recognition for her presence at the RMT strikes in 2023. Today, she has become a true phenomenon, attending almost every Palestine protest since the start of the war in October. At the protests, she perches herself on her little stool and diligently goes about depicting the dynamic energy of the demonstrations through her quick yet detailed sketches that she completes in-real-time. Over the years, she has created hundreds of postcard size sketches portraying the diversity, harmonious humanity and solidarity of the marches. Bystram has been drawing from a young age, receiving encouragement from her art teacher at her sixth, John Higgins, form college at Broxbourne School in Hertfordshire to peruse her gift. She went on to study art at the Royal Academy, London. (short version)

 

About the Curator

Haneen Khano is a British/Palestinian curator, new to the art scene. Following October 7th, after working in the humanitarian sector, she became deeply disillusioned with the world of NGOs and political institutions. Seeking solidarity and connection with Palestine, Khano began connecting and working with young Arab creatives, encouraging her not to lose hope. Thanks to this support, she began to explore aiding Palestine and its people through art, giving a voice to those that have been continuously failed by humanitarian organisations and governments.

 

 

PRESS INFORMATION

For further exhibition information, press images and interview opportunities, please contact P21 Gallery, email: info@p21.org.uk, Tel. 020 7121 6190