POSTERS OF RESISTANCE

Political art serves as a potent catalyst in social movements. This is powerfully exemplified in the rich and enduring history of posters for Palestinian liberation.

We present here a historical, cultural and political perspective on Palestine, the Palestinian people, and the resistance - in graphics. Most of the posters come from the Palestinian Poster Project Archives. Mendocino for Palestine has curated this exhibit by selecting images that spoke to us in either an emotional, visual or historic way.

This exhibit includes work from around the world, from 1922 to present day.

We have gathered these posters to help you understand this history - before and after Nakba - (the catastrophe) and what it has meant for Palestine and Palestinians. You will see posters from the colonial period, from the Nakba, from the Intifadas and from the West Bank and Gaza today.

This is art that is unapologetically political. Above all, it is art of the resistance, by Palestinian artists and others, both within historic Palestine and in the diaspora. They have utilized imagery and potent symbols-such as the key of return, the resilient olive tree, the iconic keffiyeh, and the figure of Handala-to narrate the ongoing struggle against occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

This art presents an ongoing assertion of unwavering cultural identity, and the preservation of collective memory, which today more than ever before has galvanized massive international solidarity, making this display an indelible archive and one part of a movement everywhere for resistance, resilience, and the enduring hope for self-determination. These remarkable posters express through color and design a spectrum of heart, grief, creativity, resilience, and struggle.

This isn't only an exhibit, it is also a way for those of us who are moved to show this solidarity. Please take your time, learn, and find a way to join this movement.