Gaza artist Malak Mattar join us for TPFF's children program. In addition to being an internationally celebrated artist, Malak is also a children's book author: Sitti's Bird is a sensitive and heart warming story of how a little girl in Gaza finds strength and hope through her painting.
For our young TPFF fans, Malak will do a reading of Sitti's Bird and engage in discussion with the children. Following the reading, we will do a crafting project together. Malak will also be signing copies of her book - reserve an advance copy via the online registration form.
Sitti's Bird: A Gaza Story
Malak is a little girl who lives in Gaza with her parents. She goes to school, plays in the ocean, and visits Sitti’s house on Fridays. One day while she is in school, bombings begin. She spends the next 50 days at home with her parents worrying and feeling scared, until one day she picks up her paintbrush .... Sitti’s Bird: A Gaza Story is a unique children’s picture book, written and illustrated by Palestinian artist, Malak Mattar. Reflecting her experiences of childhood in occupied Palestine, Malak’s story brings warmth and wonder to children as it tells of her rebirth as an artist during the 2014 airstrikes on Gaza. It is the story of a young girl whose love for her family and discovery of art help her channel her fears and overcome traumas that few of us can imagine—traumas shared by countless children in Gaza and around the world.
For Adult fans…
TPFF is proud to be hosting an art exhibition featuring Malak Mattar’s 2024 mural entitled No Words. The exhibition is in the lobby in the Lightbox, alongside the art works of Ibrahim Abusitta.
On Thursday, Sept 26 at 6:45 pm, Malak will be doing an Artist Salon with Afikra to explore her body of artworks, and the inspiration behind her world renown works.
Biography
Malak Mattar (b. 1999) is an artist from Gaza, Palestine. Self-taught, she paints expressionist faces, figures and semi-abstract designs. Malak started painting at the age of thirteen. During the 51-day Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2014 that forced her to stay inside her house, she felt a compelling need to release all her pent-up emotions. That opened up a world of self-expression for her. Mattar has produced well over 300 paintings.
Unable to leave Gaza due to the blockade, Mattar shared her colourful and bold works with the world via social media--Instagram and Facebook. On her fourteenth birthday, she was selling her work to buyers around the world. Her artwork garnered interest from galleries beyond Palestine as she has held many solo and group exhibitions in Jerusalem, France, Spain, Turkey, Costa Rica, India, England, United States.
While developing her artistic talent, Malak Mattar also excelled academically, achieving the highest GPA in the Gaza strip in 2017 in her senior year of high school and the second-highest GPA in Palestine in the year earlier. Malak recently completed an artist residency in London with An Effort, and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins in London.
Mattar has seen three aggressions on Gaza in her childhood and has been deeply touched by these tragic events. She has authored a children’s book: Sitti's bird - a story from Gaza inspired by her life story.
Malak Mattar paints in acrylic and oil on canvas. Until recently, her works featured bright colours and patterns often depicting a female subject. The motifs of those paintings range from profound feelings to dream visions and abstract concepts. Presently, Mattar’s works depict scenes and stories coming out of the genocide - the images are painted or sketched in greytones - and capture the devastation of the ongoing bombardment and impacts for forced displacement. Her latest and most ambitious work, No Words, completed February 2024, is featured at TPFF 2024 art exhibition.
