STORY: Gazan teenagers create mosaic murals to revive Palestinian heritage
DATELINE: Aug. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:13
LOCATION: GAZA, Palestine
CATEGORY: CULTURE
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of Gazan teenagers making big murals of mosaic art
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LAMA AL-AQQAD, Teenage artist from Gaza
3. various of Gazan teenagers making big murals of mosaic art
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AHMED IBRAHIM, Teenage artist from Gaza
5. various of Gazan teenagers making big murals of mosaic art
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMMED ABU LAHIA, Supervisor of CFTA's art department
7. various of Gazan teenagers making big murals of mosaic art
 
STORYLINE:
 
Inspired by Byzantine-style mosaic art, 15 Palestinian teens have worked on at least 20,000 small pieces of colored stones and ceramics in a youth artist workshop set up in the headquarters of the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA), a Gaza-based non-profit organization.
 
As they made final touches to the mural, the vivid image of a young Palestinian lady wearing traditional clothing appeared on the workbench.
 
Named "Talhameia Woman," the mosaic portrait of a fictional but collective image of women from Bethlehem in the West Bank aims to bring viewers close to the rich cultural heritage of the local Palestinian people.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LAMA AL-AQQAD, Teenage artist from Gaza
"This is one of the oldest known arts, as a number of mosaic paintings were discovered in archaeological sites, including Tell Umm Amer. So we are reviving this art by embodying the Palestinian heritage and reviving the Palestinian cause through this art. I am very happy to be part of this very important project that contains all this creativity."
 
"Our female ancestors used to wear their own traditional embroidered dresses. Each Palestinian city has its distinguished clothing," al-Aqqad told Xinhua, referring to the word Talhameia, which means people from Bethlehem.
 
The portrait and other murals will be installed in the CFTA headquarters and other public spaces in the coastal enclave.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AHMED IBRAHIM, Teenage artist from Gaza
"I am participating in a large project in making a large mural of Palestinian women. This fine art is something dazzling and I am happy to be included. The most important thing I learned is how to work together with my colleagues and work on things that I do for the first time through plastic art."
 
About 18 months ago, the 15 teenagers visited archaeological sites in Gaza, which can date back to the Byzantine and Roman eras, in an activity organized by the CFTA to raise young Gazans' cultural awareness, said Mohammed Abu Lahia, supervisor of the CFTA's art department.
 
SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMMED ABU LAHIA, Supervisor of CFTA's art department
"The artists were inspired by the elements of the murals from our Palestinian cultural heritage, including the Palestinian sunbird and the Palestinian woman in the Palestinian dress, in addition to the sea coast and the olive tree. About 15 participants learned the art of mosaic, as they can produce murals by fixing small pieces of colored stones and ceramics on a large plate according to a previously prepared picture."
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Palestine.
(XHTV)