"Against Erasure - Photographs from Gaza"

P21 Gallery is proud to present “Against Erasure - Photographs from Gaza” a group exhibition co-curated by Yahya Zaloom, Photo Humanity Grant and Razan AlSarraf, featuring 11 artists: Mahmoud Abu Hamda, Belal Alhams, Jehad Alshrafi, Hammam Younis Alzyatuniya, Anas Ayyad, Majdi Fathi Suleiman Qraiqea, Belal Khaled, Ahmed Salama, Fatima Alzahra Shbair, Ali Jadallah, and Abdul Rahman Zaqout. From September 24th to October 10th, 2025, P21 Gallery will be exhibiting a survey of works created by the artists in response to being awarded the Photo Humanity Grant.

“Against Erasure – Photographs from Gaza” brings to light the extraordinary work of Gaza-based photographers who document the realities of life under one of the world’s most violent genocides. This exhibition is a vivid portrayal of the immense hardships endured, the unwavering resistance displayed, and the indomitable spirit of survival in Gaza, Palestine.

Artistic photography, particularly within contexts of conflict, functions not only as documentation but as a complex mode of seeing, one that fuses perception, memory, and ethical engagement. In Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes distinguishes between the “studium” and the “punctum”, suggesting that a photograph’s true affective force emerges from the incidental detail that disrupts neutrality and elicits an involuntary and/ or emotional response. The works in this exhibition draw on that rupture, where the image transcends representation to become a site of resonance and resistance. Against the reductive gaze of media spectacle, the photographer asserts their authorship not as a passive recorder, but as a conscious mediator of lived experience. Through formal sensitivity and conceptual clarity, these images reframe Gaza not as a spectacle of suffering, but as a landscape of humanity, where creativity becomes both a mode of survival and a claim to visibility.

Featuring the works of eleven exceptional photographers, the exhibition provides an intimate look into the human cost of genocide and the resilience of a people striving for dignity and justice. Through their lens, the photographers reveal stories that transcend borders, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of solidarity, hope, and the ongoing struggle for human rights.

This exhibition also highlights the transformative role of the Photo Humanity Grant. By providing these talented photographers with the resources to deepen their craft, the grant has amplified their voices on the global stage. Each image is not only a testament to their artistry but also a call to action, challenging us to confront uncomfortable truths and engage with the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.