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Spotlight
HAZEM HARB
Hope Box Palestine
Hazem is an artist who lives and works in Gaza City. Hazem is a Palestinian artist, a true painter. Hazem's work are mostly paintings in large formats. Hazem is only 23 years old but has a big oeuvre due to an enormous production. What is most striking about Hazem's work is the intensity. Strong and swift strokes of paint reflect the most fragile of human nature. The body of work which is most recent are monumental portraits. Larger than life and stirring. During Hope Box Palestine I have met Hazem in Gaza City. Hazem is now Weather Reporter!
I have asked him the folowing questions:

R: What are your inspiration sources and what is your vision and aim?

My main inspiration source is the suffering in the Palestinian daily life. The life that all Palestinians live in the conflict and Intifada, and my personal life in a simple and poor region. Living in the middle I see the suffering on the faces of the people around me every day. In my work I try to reflect these expressions on their faces and I try to discover the different ways people express and deal with suffering.

R: What is in the past?

In the past I saw the art as my one and only home in which I can live and I can always express my feeling. In the past I have tried to be near people through my art and have tried to develop myself to be able to translate the conflict through my works.

R: What is happening now?

Now I try to express real human feelings through my experiences in life. Now I try to be everywhere to absorb and express human emotions, especially the suffering of the Palestinian people in the difficult social reality of today.

R: What is in the future?

In the future I dream my art will reach the world outside Palestine. It would be my way to bring across the Palestinian suffering to everyone in the world.

R: What is everlasting?

Everlasting is my wish to be an artist close to people especially to those who are poor and live a simple life.

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