Rana Battrawi, 2026
Curated by Linda Abdullah & Faten Nastas Mitwasi
Opening Nov. 7, 2pm – 7pm; Reception 7pm until the last one closes the door
Regular hours 2pm – 7pm, or by appointment (groups welcome)
From November 7th to December 5th, 2026, New Forms of Survivance will be exhibited at Watershed Art & Ecology, shedding light on a group of Palestinian artists from Gaza. This exhibition features some of the same artists from the 2024 exhibition Landscapes from Under the Rubble at Co-Prosperity, which foregrounded immediate responses to destruction.
Three years after October 7th, these artists are now forcibly dispersed; some of them live across the diaspora, while others are internally displaced within the Gaza Strip. New Forms of Survivance, however, reflects not only genocide and loss, but also sumud (steadfastness), resilience, and transformation.
Survivance, as writer Gerald Vizenor explains, is an active sense of presence over absence, the continuance of stories, and the refusal of mere victimhood; the Palestinian artists in this exhibition practice survivance through art. As artist Basel Almaquosi reflects, “I draw in order to remain awake as a sensitive human being; the war does not erase my dignity and humanity.” Working with whatever materials are available—diluted spices, pomegranate, charcoal, tea, coffee, or hibiscus—these artists produce expressive marks on modest surfaces, like school notebooks and ruled paper. The drawings function as a form of diaristic testimony from within a war zone. When the artist and professor Suhail Salem began sharing daily sketches on Facebook, he described them as “our only window to tell the world: we are still alive.”
New Forms of Survivance celebrates the work of Palestinian artists and offers a platform through which they share their stories, reflect on their fears, and express their dreams. Against genocidal violence, the artists from Gaza continue to pursue creative expression as a testament to their love of life. The artworks offer alternative ways of seeing, manifesting the evolving relationship between the artists’ lived realities and their creative practices over the past three years.
This exhibition needs community support!
This show is not easy to organize or to finance. If you can, please visit Linda Abdullah’s GoFundMe.
Every donation, however small, is tremendously appreciated.