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Despite enduring more than two years of unimaginable hardship, the people of Gaza continue to show remarkable resilience. Creativity and community remain powerful sources of strength, with many Palestinian artists continuing to tell their stories through drawings, paintings, and now sand sculptures.
With limited resources, Yazid Abu Jarad and his team adopted the beach as their canvas, deciding to carve out letters in the sand using whatever tools they can find. Their creations are washed away by the waves each night, but the artists come back each day to start a new work. One of the artists, Majd Jarad, reveals, “We come back the next day and start again. Art is our talent—we love sculpting and drawing on Gaza’s soil.” He adds, “And even after two years of war, we never give up.”
The group’s inspiring daily ritual now draws in crowds of displaced families who love to watch their creations unfold. “When we create art on Gaza’s beach, we see so many people gather around us,” says Jarad. “It brings joy—you can see it on the faces of children and even the elderly. People drift into a different world for a moment.”
Their sand art has become a way to stay present during Israel’s relentless bombardment, giving them a moment of calm and a way to leave their imprint on their land that is being rapidly reshaped. But for Jarad and his team, their practice is about more than self-preservation—they’re also doing it to support their community.
Speaking of the families who gather on the beach while they work, Jardad says, “They look at the artwork and see an image completely different from what they’ve been used to since the war began—the bombings, destruction, and the buzzing of drones. Through our drawings, even a small picture can change how they feel.”
Check out some of the artist’s sand art below and follow Yazid Abu Jarad on Instagram for more.
Gaza-based Yazid Abu Jarad and his team are showing their resilience through their daily sand art.
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With limited resources, they adopted the beach as their canvas, deciding to carve out letters in the sand using whatever tools they can find.
View this post on Instagram
Their creations are washed away by the waves each night, but the artists come back each day to start a new work.
View this post on Instagram
This work expresses the artist’s solidarity with the activists aboard one of the ships that was intercepted and seized by the Israeli occupation forces.
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The group’s inspiring daily ritual now draws in crowds of displaced families who love to watch their creations unfold.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Their practice has become a way to stay present, enjoy a moment of calm, and leave their imprint on the land.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Yazid Abu Jarad: Instagram
Source: Palestinian sculptors create art on Gaza beach sand to escape Israel’s war
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