Palestinian artist Fathi Ghaben has passed away
World-renowned artist Fathi Ghaben has died in Gaza after urgent calls for medical intervention in the war-torn region were left unanswered by Israeli authorities.
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77-year-old Fathi Ghaben, known as the "Van Gogh of Gaza," had been struggling with severe chest and lung issues exacerbated by the smoke from the latest bombardments in Gaza.
In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture said that Ghaben needed to travel abroad to complete his treatment due to the lack of medicine and oxygen in Gaza, but that occupation authorities did not grant him permission to leave the Gaza Strip.
ABOUT FATHI GHABEN
The artist, who was imprisoned multiple times by Israeli authorities, was a symbol of resistance in the Palestinian cultural scene. He and his family were among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes during the Nakba in 1948, the mass displacement of Palestinians.
In the early 1980s, Ghaben defied these bans by depicting the plight and flag of the Palestinian people in his work. Thousands of posters of his colorful art spread across Gaza and the West Bank. Ghaben was an influential figure in the initiation of art movements in Gaza.
He was one of the founders of the Fathi Ghaben Art Center as well as the Association of Fine Arts and Artists in Gaza.