Heart of the Beast

Intimate images from the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on West 27th Street, Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC, April 25th - May 7th,

"From The Belly Of The Beast" - A phrase often used during protests to remind us that we are protesting a fascist government while living and surviving in the middle of it. We benefit from the atrocities our government and its partners commit around the world, which makes resistance that much less palatable. 

The FIT Gaza Solidarity Encampment was standing for 13 days, across 3 different locations, and ended with violent arrests of both students and community members. After our campus (the last one standing) was swept, I found most news articles and headlines found ways to not only demonize the international student movement but also discredit and delegitimize the Palestinian resistance movement we were standing in solidarity with. Jokes were made, 'College students aren’t having enough sex — so they’re turning to anti-Israel protests,' read a New York Post headline.

It was not surprising how quickly the general public was able to dismiss the encampments as silly students feeling rebellion, even going as far as to say we were state-sponsored or harboring 'outside agitators". These claims are not only wrong but openly challenged by my series of pictures, "Heart Of The Beast". The photos in this project aim to humanize and dignify the actions and events done by brave students, show the humanity present in such revolutionary and rebellious tactics, and give an insight into the tone and environment in this encampment. 

I hope these photos remain not only as a record of the outstanding work done by these young revolutionaries but also invite the art world to see the beauty of resistance, community, solidarity, and civil disobedience.


These are photos from the FIT Palestine encampment, a student-led physical protest and encampment. The images are all taken in the span of the 13-day occupation of school (public) property, and there is a mix of portraits, environmental portraits, still lives, protest scenes, and lots of images of the daily life of the encampment. I lived there for 11 days. I want to emphasize the fact that we are regular people with human emotions and are capable of putting our own needs aside for the chance to stand in solidarity with Palestine. We are one of many encampments, movements, and even resistance eras that have fought for this, i really wish i had the physical capacity to be at every single encampment and get photos like this, but I happened to be at the FIT one and I want these images to humanze the people fighting for Palestinian resistance, as the media often vilifies anyone standing up for palestinan/ arab rights


// art documentary series of intimate images showing the heart and humanity of resistance, the current title is "Heart of the Beast", a reference to the phrase "In the belly of the beast" that refers to fighting a resistance campaign right in the middle (physically and eco-socially) of the occupier/oppressive system

pictures i didnt add but was going to possibly