Press Release by artist Abdelrazek Okasha
El-Hanager Hall at the Cairo Opera House will host, on April 16, 2026, an art exhibition by visual artist Abdelrazek Okasha titled “Gaza,” as part of a cultural and humanitarian initiative under the banner “Palestine in the Heart.” The exhibition stands as an artistic and human response to the tragedy endured by the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, which has suffered for years under a devastating war that has caused immense human and material losses and created extremely harsh humanitarian conditions.
The exhibition is grounded in a vision that considers the Palestinian cause first and foremost a human issue, transcending ideological or religious classifications. The artist يرى that what is happening in Gaza represents a profound human tragedy affecting a people striving to preserve their fundamental rights to life, freedom, and dignity—rights shared by all humanity regardless of belief or identity.
Okasha points out that many media and intellectual narratives have framed Palestinian uprisings as primarily religious conflicts, whereas he sees their essence as a struggle against injustice, oppression, siege, and starvation—universal human concerns tied to the basic rights of peoples to live in peace and security.
The artist’s perspective is informed by a long personal journey in international cultural and artistic work. Over the course of his career, he has participated in exhibitions, events, and lectures in more than fifty countries, as an artist, juror, and speaker. Throughout these experiences, he affirms that he has consistently stood in support of fundamental human causes, foremost among them the right to freedom, education, culture, and social justice.
He also recounts facing various forms of pressure, discrimination, and racism during his years abroad—experiences that reinforced his conviction that defending human dignity is an ethical responsibility that cannot be abandoned. His adherence to these principles has cost him certain international artistic positions, including prominent roles in institutions associated with UNESCO and the Salon d’Automne, whose historians have acknowledged that Okasha’s contributions were a significant addition to its legacy, reflecting ideas of freedom and artistic revolution.
The artist’s engagement with the Palestinian cause dates back decades. In 1996, he held an exhibition at the Taha Hussein Museum in Giza, followed by another at Parc Mansouri in Paris. In 1997, he resigned from a UNESCO-affiliated cultural association in Morocco in protest against what he described as the suppression of the Palestinian uprising at the time.
For Okasha, art is not merely an aesthetic practice or a form of entertainment, but a human message aimed at expressing the major issues facing societies. In this context, he draws inspiration from great artists such as Eugène Delacroix, who linked art to the causes of freedom and justice, affirming that artistic work can play a vital role in shaping human consciousness.
The exhibition features a collection of large-scale artworks addressing the suffering of Gaza and the resilience of its people. At its center is a monumental mural titled “Gaza Diaries,” stretching thirty meters in length, which documents, through a visual language, the events of the latest war and its deep human impact. The mural depicts scenes from daily Palestinian life—where education continues despite bombardment, and creativity persists despite danger—confronting a reality imposed by war and siege.
In this work, the artist draws on major artistic traditions in world art history, including the works of Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, and Paul Cézanne, as well as Picasso’s Guernica, which has become a universal symbol of resistance against war and violence.
Okasha believes that every stone in the land of Palestine, particularly in Gaza, stands as a testament to the resilience of a people deeply rooted in their land and their right to live. Through his works, he seeks to document this steadfastness and highlight the human dimension of the Palestinian cause.
The exhibition will open to the public at El-Hanager Hall, Cairo Opera House, on April 16, 2026, presenting the main mural alongside a series of related works centered on Gaza—an artistic attempt to document a historical moment lived by the Palestinian people and to affirm their right to life, freedom, and peace.
