This is a photo of Gazan artist Dina Mattar holding the painting she made in February 2024 in a refugee camp in Rafah. The painting is the basis for this new solidarity Instagram account & the website http://www.bombersintobutterflies.com.

Dina posted this photograph of herself on March 17, 2024, with the words:

“I’m here…in Gaza
🥺?can anyone hear me”

Along with her husband & fellow Gazan artist Mohammed Al-Hawajiri, Dina was part of the Eltiqa Gallery which was destroyed by Israeli bombs on December 4, 2023. Their work was included in the 2022 exhibition, Lumbung One (aka documenta fifteen) curated by ruangrupa, as part of the participation of the collective The Question of Funding collective. Dina, Mohammed, & other members of the Eltiqa Group also have work in ‘This is Not an Exhibition’ at the Palestinian Museum & as part of the ‘Palestinian Art in the Streets’ at the current Venice Biennale, created by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA).

I share Dina’s painting, not only to bring attention to her & her family’s devastating situation, & to the ongoing genocidal violence against her & her people, including cultural erasure of living artists & their work, but also with a glimmer of hope for how the transforming vision of artists can enact change through, & dream of turning bombers into butterflies!

Please join me in raising your voice in support of Dina & all Palestinians, both through individual gestures (starting by sharing her work) & also with coordinated, collective actions.

Dina, we see you & we stand in solidarity with you!