Palestinian artist turns woodwork into map of memory and resistance

Palestinian artist Hamza Arman, 40, has turned his craft into both a personal outlet and a political statement. Arman creates detailed woodwork featuring maps of Palestinian territories to process the emotional toll of the war in Gaza.

Born in Jerusalem and raised partly in the West Bank, Arman’s work is deeply tied to his identity and heritage. Arman says this war didn't start 2 years ago on October 7. “We’ve known this since we've known how to speak. This is something that is part of our life, this is something unfortunately a lot of it is part of the culture," Arman told Reuters. 

Inside his garage workshop in Duluth, Georgia, Arman meticulously cuts, sands, and seals pieces of natural wood to create maps of the region.

Photo: Reuters

Layered with symbolism and pain, he hopes his art will shed light on history and loss. “Our form of art or whatever you want to call it or expression is showing everybody else what we're going through. So we don't have the luxury or the space to sit here and give you rosy posy," Arman said. 

Arman’s artistic journey began more than two decades ago when he moved to the U.S. from the West Bank as a teenager. His first introduction to art was jewelry in 2001.

Photo: Reuters

As Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza under a ceasefire deal and Israel released Palestinian detainees this week, Arman says he's skeptical that this is the end. “This whole region and what we're facing and what we've been facing is like having a house on the beach in a hurricane-prone area," he said. 

The ceasefire has brought a mix of relief and uncertainty. But for Arman, peace feels distant. “It feels like you are always on edge. You never know when anything could just happen. So peace it's very very very hard to even think about without justice," Arman said. "No justice, no peace. If we don't get justice. There's no such thing as a peace. This is putting a bandaid on an artillery shell wound.”