Gaza Rebirth, Group Exhibit for Peace

GAZAREBIRTH

ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD JOIN FOR PEACE AND RAISE FUNDS FOR GAZA’S CHILDREN

A collaborative exhibition featuring the work of 50 artists is underway in the Hudson Valley. The exhibit, titled “Gaza Rebirth: Artists in Solidarity,” seeks to raise awareness of Gaza’s plight as well as Israelis’ and Palestinians’ struggle to foster mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. Fifty percent of all sales will be donated to the children of Gaza.
“Gaza Rebirth” will kick off with a public celebration on June 21 (summer solstice) at the Baraka complex in Stanfordville, NY (12-7) and thereafter will remain open to the public every weekend through August 21.
Maxwell Kofi Donkor, international and national known master drummer from Ghana will perform live at the opening celebration. Kofi leads drum circles for children, has been very influential in the arts-in-education program in schools and communities in the Tri-State region and has played with world-renowned drummers, like Baba Olatunje and Mickey Hart. He believes in the use of cultural arts as a conduit in community building, teamwork, leadership, diversity and self-esteem.
“Gaza Rebirth” organized and curated by Kardash Onnig, a Hudson Valley-based sculptor, activist, author, inventor, and toymaker is based on the concept of what he calls “symbiotic synthesis,” which has deep roots in Kardash’s Armenian background. For example, in the 4thcentury, following a millennium of conflict between the Armenians and the Parthians, a common alphabet was invented to facilitate communication between the two nations which was the first major step towards peace.

This intention for this artwork was to express a visual merging of two flags, two identities, two peoples hearts into one. Using the topographical landscape as an underlying component to the trauma and the solution. Using Onnig’s Torso as the symbolic union via the maternal essence of the universal mother. Gaza Stripped is the path to truth, in saying, when a person is stripped of their clothes, their cultural identity, we can begin to see the common component, The humanity of both people’s – In us all…