By: Rija Siddiqui

Palestinian Wall Art

Banksy, a quasi anonymous graffiti artist from Bristol England, has been making a name for himself on the British and international circuit. Some view his artwork merely as graffiti while others consider his work to be a comment on present-day society, politics, and life in general. Banksy graffiti in Palestine is the latest addition to his ever expanding global presence, and what a perfect place to make statements about political strife via urban work.

Background

Armored Dove of Peace.

This piece of urban art is accredited to Banksy and perhaps several other street artists. The dove, complete with an armored vest and bull's-eye heart target, makes a tongue-in-cheek comment about peace. What better way to display a political comment about the unstable peace in the area than to depict the bearer of peace "the dove“ in a precarious situation?

West Bank Guard

An innocent child is used to display the tension in the region. In this painting, a little girl, complete with pigtails, depicts the innocence of children everywhere, caught in the middle of strife and political discord. What makes this piece interesting is the willingness of the guard to submit to a search by the tyke. Perhaps he himself is making a statement about the innocence of children on both sides of the barrier.

Window on the West Bank

Banksy's art is mostly black-and-white stencil paintings. However, occasionally, he ventures out of his safe monochrome world to paint in colors, especially to make a bold statement. This piece of urban art depicts two comfy chairs, each beside a colorful window, displaying a beautiful mountain vacation scenery. The statement in this picture is pretty clear. Who would want to vacation in a war-torn region such as the West Bank area?

Unwelcome Intervention

 This picture gives hope to what could be. Two boys are playing in what appears to be a beach area, complete with sand pail, all in the classic monochrome black and white, while on the other side a paradise awaits in colorful blues and palm trees. One can only hope that something better awaits on the other side.

Escapism

This graffiti masterpiece depicts a young lad with chalk in hand. The only means of escape from one side of the wall to the other that he could envision was his chalk-drawn ladder leading to the top. The lad is complete with a smile, perhaps not realizing the political statement that his ladder makes.

Balloon Debate

Painted totally in black, as if a silhouette or shadow, Balloon Debate shows a young girl, hoping for the other side but only able to do so by letting balloons take her away. Again, Banksy uses a child to depict innocence against the true hostility of the area and what the wall came from.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/palestinians-wall-apartheid-berlin-westbank-israel-20141198037736737.html Atassi Basma, “Palestinians remind world of their own wall” http://www.aljazeera.com/ 09 Nov 2014 , 05/19/15

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