Bisan from Gaza (in press helmet)
My wood girls like to give back when they can, either as a group or as individual pieces.
This wood girl has been painted to represent Bisan Owda, who is dressed in a bullet-proof press vest and wearing a pale blue press helmet on her head.
Bisan Owda is a 25/26 year old Palestinian journalist, activist, and filmmaker who grew up in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. From 2021 she produced media content for a TV channel entitled 'Hakawatiya' that focused on the ancient Arabic tradition of oral storytelling, narrating pieces about Palestinian history and culture. She has also worked with the European Union on climate change and as an EU Goodwill Ambassador as well as highlighting gender inequality issues across social media platforms.
Following Hamas' attack on October 7 2023, she began documenting the Palestinian civilian experience in the Gaza strip as she and her family were forcibly displaced from their home in Beit Hanoun to the supposed 'safe zone' of Al-Shifa hospital (where she witnessed first hand the Al-Shifa ambulance airstrike) and the subsequent relocations necessitated by each new Israeli attack. She has been showing the world what survival has been like for her and the people around her, beginning each dispatch with her signature line: “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m still alive.” In May 2024, she won a Peabody Award in the News category for her reporting from Gaza, and in September 2024 she won an Emmy in the 'Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Short Form' category.
More than 200 journalists have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023, many in specifically targeted attacks, making it the most deadly place on earth for journalists to be. Israel has refused entry to foreign journalists and so it has fallen to Gazans to provide all reportage on the besieged and blockaded enclave, getting the news out not only via official news media channels but also using phone cameras and social media as their broadcasting network. 'Mainstream' news media continues to ignore and sideline any such reporting in favour of the 'foreign journalists' who can't enter - meaning that such news is nearly always biased towards Israeli government press releases and completely missing any direct reporting element. Outside of the Gaza Strip, many more Palestinian journalists are being arrested and detained in the occupied West Bank as they try to report on the reality experienced by Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied territories who are coming under steadily increasing attacks and persecution by the Israeli state and violent occupiers (commonly referred to as the peaceful sounding 'settlers' but who are anything but peaceful). A common sight from the reportage has been the press jacket - supposed to protect journalists in conflict zones (as per Article 79 of the Third Geneva Convention, journalists on duty are guaranteed the same protection as civilians under international law), it has now turned from protective gear into something that puts wearers at significant risk.
By purchasing this girl, you will be donating to Many Lands Mutual Aid, a Gaza based initiative that distributes daily necessities and food for up to 100 families who returned from displacement camps in the south of the Gaza strip to the Shuja'iyya neighbourhood of Gaza City in January 2025. Since the return to the north, they have also been helping to establish a steady supply of water to the neighbourhood. All aid to Gaza has been blocked since March by Israel and the situation grows more and more dangerous as the Israeli military continues to target the civilian population of Gaza. It remains important that you read and educate yourself on the history of the region, talk to friends and family about what you learn, boycott Israeli products and companies that collaborate with Israel, look outside of mainstream media for factual news reporting and express open solidarity with the Palestinian people - do not stay silent and keep on resisting.
The total purchase price (less payment processing fees by Stripe/ Paypal) will be donated to the charity, and you get to keep a grumpy girl to remind you that resistance is existence. UK shipping is free. Shipping elsewhere is £15 flat rate.
The total height is approximately 14cm.
My pieces are painted in a naïve and simple style, with visible brush strokes and differing paint consistencies. It is important to note that these dolls are made from real wood which will have naturally occurring markings and grain, and sometimes there will be small amount of bleeding along the grain, which is to be expected when using untreated wood - please make sure you consult the pictures carefully before purchasing. Finished in a top coat of matt acrylic.
Stamped underneath with 'blue bear' in red ink.
Please note: THIS IS NOT A TOY and should be kept out of the reach of children.
