Painting by Reem M Arkan
Bride of Haifa
CrossFireArabia- Culture
- July 8, 2026
CrossFireArabia
Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.
Malak Mattar: An Artist From Gaza
- CrossFireArabia
- July 6, 2026
Malak Mattar is a prominent contemporary Palestinian painter and author from the Gaza Strip, known for her vibrant, expressionistic artwork. She began painting self-taught at age fourteen during the 2014 Gaza war, using cheap watercolours on paper as a vital outlet for trauma.
Mattar’s signature style features stylized, bold figures—primarily women—with large, deeply expressive eyes that convey profound resilience, grief, and hope. Her work heavily incorporates cultural motifs, symbols of peace like doves, and traditional tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) patterns. Garnering international acclaim, her paintings have been exhibited globally, offering a powerful, humanizing narrative of Palestinian identity.
