A Geelong artist is holding an exhibition to highlight the plights of people affected in the Gaza Strip.
Pottery artist Storm Bucek’s ‘If I must die…let it bring hope’ tells a story of the events in Gaza through the lens of her appreciation for traditional Palestinian art and her experience as a human rights worker in Central America in the 1980s.
“After October 7th, my news feed was filled with desperate, bleeding people crying out for help; of unimaginably huge craters left from 2000 pound bombs dropped in the middle of crowded cities; of wounded and crying children with their heads wrapped in bandages, and others with stumps where legs and hands should be,” she said.
“The news headlines were horrific, and cries of genocide resounded around the world. The inspiration to create emerged from these headlines and a deep sadness that continues as we collectively witness the ongoing destruction of a people and a culture.”
The works that express Storm’s grief at the suffering of the people of Gaza will be interlaced with a second range of pots celebrating Palestinian art and resilience. In these works, Storm explores clay forms inspired by the 3000 year old art of Palestinian ceramics. Her intricate carvings, sgraffito, and porcelain inlay designs are interpretations of motifs found in the Palestinian embroidery tradition of tatreez.
“I make these pots to amplify the voices of the people of Gaza,” she said.
“All my proceeds are donated because the people of Gaza are desperate and asking for help. I don’t want to profit from their suffering.”
The exhibition will be held at the Hue and Cry Collective art gallery on Ryrie Street from March 9 to 31. All proceeds will be donated to The Gaza Children’s Fund.
