New Painting – “Refaat Alareer”

I’ve got a new oil painting titled “Refaat Alareer”, for the Palestinian poet and teacher who was assassinated in Gaza by Israeli forces earlier this month.

The kite in the painting is a reference to the last poem ever shared by Alareer, “If I Must Die”:

If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze —
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself —
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up
above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale.

https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/new-painting-refaat-alareer