The Caged Bird Paints with Malak Mattar

This week we sit down with the vibrant 21-year old Palestinian female artist, painter, and activist Malak Mattar coming to us straight from Gaza, Palestine. Malak takes us through her experience growing up in Gaza under Israeli siege and surviving four Israeli military assaults from early childhood to adulthood. She tells us about her path to painting, the inspiration behind the subjects in her art, her favorite Palestinian painters, and how the Israeli siege on Gaza has affected her ability to travel as an artist and sell her art (she operates an Etsy store based in Turkey to avoid censorship by the Apartheid State which would have to approve the packages she sends out of Gaza). She describes the current situation in Gaza since the latest assaults in May including heightened restrictions on the entry of goods due to Apartheid Israel's blocking of chocolate, wedding dresses, and certain acrylic colors (like white and black paint colors). Malak evokes the meaning of living as a free Gazan woman against the backdrop of the brutal siege and occupation. She critically reminds us that "Peace is no longer a priority; Freedom is" and takes us through her dreams for the future. The Palestine Pod queries whether there are breakfast burritos in Gaza.