Musician in the Clouds by Khaled Hourani

Ramallah-based Palestinian artist Khaled Hourani in ‘Musician in the Clouds’ seeks to convey the subject of separation by depicting a man and his struggle to climb to the sky. Hourani often depicts young men climbing using hands, ropes, and ladders, alluding to the barriers that are so often being built between Palestinian people. He explains, “Between what is normal and what is not in life; between homes; between a farmer and his fields; between a believer and his worship house; between the scenery and the painter.” 

In his works, Hourani demands the construction of all kinds of walls to cease, “My inner voice asserts: Stop the walls so I can stop painting them,” he states. Although, the young men he depicts consistently attempt to overcome the barriers they have been burdened with; a true representation of resilience in the face of occupation.