Thank you for participating. The sale is now closed.
We raised over $79,907 (293,460AED). We sold 670 prints to over 29 countries. We also received a contribution of $600 from @NepalPictureLibrary from sales of their publications that will be added to the fund making a total sum of $80,507.
All the proceeds will go directly to support Palestinian visual artists. The ADPP mentees, AFAC and GPP are working on dispersing the money to the artists on the ground which as you may appreciate, will take some time and effort. We will keep you updated on the progress through our social media channels.
If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to inquire about potentially still placing an order, please email us on editions@gulfphotoplus.com.
We are a community of photographers and visual storytellers from across the Arabic-speaking world, standing in unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of Israel's settler-colonial occupation.
Why we're doing this:
As the genocide unfolds before our eyes, in Gaza and the West Bank, courageous Palestinian photographers, visual storytellers and citizen journalists are working tirelessly to document the relentless attacks on their land, on their loved ones, and on their very existence.
Now, more so than ever, it is imperative to amplify Palestinian narratives, and to support those currently documenting the ongoing atrocities. We are launching this print sale to support these artists and image-makers as they wield their cameras against injustice and bring clarity to the fog of war.
All proceeds from this print sale, regardless of which print you purchase, will go directly to support their continued work and recovery from the ongoing conflict, when the guns go silent.
Together, let us help ensure the future of Palestinian narratives.
Why a print sale?
If our primary goal was to ensure the delivery of basic necessities, which are in urgent need, a print sale would not be an efficient way to go about this. But this is not a charity drive for humanitarian relief — this is an artwork sale.
Within the regional visual community, we have an unfortunately ever-dwindling resource of image-makers forging narratives from within the actively besieged areas of Palestine. Our focus is to directly support our colleagues currently working under unimaginable conditions, bearing witness to unspeakable atrocities with their cameras.
With the blessing of the Palestinian contributors in this collection, we hope to ease the burden carried by these artists, and propel their work as wide, and as far, as we can.
What will I receive?
- A3 fine art print on Hahnemühle Photo Matt Fibre (200gsm)
- Each printed image is presented in the original aspect ratio without any cropping — Please view each image preview carefully to see a preview of the final artwork size.
- We are not offering these with any add-on frames from our custom framing service, to keep costs low.
- Each print will be packaged on foam-board, covered by a plastic sheet.
Who is participating?
A group of Palestinian photographers, alongside a collective of mentees from the Arab Documentary Photography Program.
However, regardless of which image you purchase, all proceeds will go to image-makers currently in Gaza and the West Bank, via the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.
As members of the regional image-making community, we all feel deeply about this cause, and are working together to help our colleagues.
Where does the money go?
The profits (AED438 / $119.25) of each print sold will be given to artists currently in Gaza and the West Bank.
Prints are available for AED495.00 ($134.77). Here are the costs:
- Printing and packaging: AED32.00 ($8.71)
- 5% VAT: AED25.00 ($6.81)
- Shipping: paid additionally by you, the buyer, and goes directly to the shipping company — no profits are generated from this.
- Transfer fees: this cost depends on the recipients choice of transfer method, but this will be covered by the facilitating parties, and will not impact the final profit value
Gulf Photo Plus has been selling artwork by regional photographers since 2013, sharing profits equally. For this sale, all profits will be transferred to the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), which will then be distributed by AFAC to a group of Palestinian image-makers — how they use these funds is then wholly at their discretion. We will publicly provide proof of transfer at the conclusion of the sale.
Where does the title come from?
Majd Arandas, whose work is featured in this sale, sent us a voice note just a few days before he was killed in an air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, on November 1st, 2023.
Majd said: "I wish for a day when life and beauty return to Gaza, and for peace to spread throughout all of Palestinian land. I wish to photograph beautiful things... cities in the West Bank, cities in Occupied Palestine, and visit many cities across the world and capture beautiful things there — beauty that the citizens in Gaza are kept from witnessing because of the Israeli occupation, whether it's in their own homeland or elsewhere in the world!"
In 2022, Majd was forced to sell his camera to make ends' meet, but continued making work with with his phone, and was hoping to purchase a new camera soon.
By supporting Palestinian artists, we hope to foster more image-makers like Majd, and provide them with what they need, to someday document the beauty around them.
Printing and fulfilment by Gulf Photo Plus, the region's leading photography center based in the UAE.