日本語
On June 7, 2025, I held another character-making workshop called “Let’s Draw Our Heroes!” with artist Diaa, connecting online with children in Gaza, Palestine.
At first glance, the room in the pictures looks clean and ordinary. But what surprised me most was the sheer number of smiles from the children and participants.
It was so different from the “Gaza” I had imagined that I honestly felt a little confused.
And yet, Diaa and these children in the photos are indeed still in Gaza, where they live in constant fear of airstrikes.
In the NHK documentary “My Sweet Home, Gaza” aired on June 2, 2024, Diaa speaks about the pain of losing his best friend.
About six months ago, Diaa asked if we could hold an online art workshop despite the ongoing war.He said, “You can teach for free, but we still need money for art supplies, a venue, and internet.”
About six months ago, Diaa asked if we could hold an online art workshop despite the ongoing war.He said, “You can teach for free, but we still need money for art supplies, a venue, and internet.”
I thought, “Wait, am I supposed to raise all the funds myself?”
That’s when I decided to hold an “International Cooperation Through Art and Design” exhibition under SocialCompass.We sold collaborative artworks created by Diaa and me to raise the necessary funds.
As a result, we sold 6 AI-enhanced art prints and raised ¥158,400 JPY (around $1,100 USD).
👉 This was not a donation—it was an art sale.
🎨 Social Compass Shop powered by BASE
A creative collective based in Southeast Asia tackling social issues through art and design.
You can still buy Diaa’s artworks from our shop!
Some people may have bought them out of sympathy.
If I had launched a crowdfunding campaign myself, we might have raised funds more quickly.
But since meeting Diaa in October 2023, we’ve exchanged countless messages, searching together for what art can do. It all started with me simply buying one of his artworks.
To be honest, I sometimes feel the concept of “donation” inevitably reflects economic inequality. Even as a graduate of an art university, I still ask myself,
“What is art, really?”
But in this case, six people resonated with our message and chose to buy our work. And that made this workshop possible.
This wasn’t supported by outside aid. This was made possible because Diaa himself raised the funds—even under bombardment in Gaza.
That gave us hope: Even in the middle of war, economic activity from Gaza is still possible. And maybe that’s what real international cooperation looks like.
True cooperation means more than pity or sympathy—it means standing on equal ground. After 13 years of living in Cambodia, I want to keep searching for this genuine form of cooperation.
It might sound naive, But I truly believe that art can be a force for world peace.
🎨 Social Compass Shop powered by BASE
You can still buy Diaa’s work here!
📝 Summary of my journey with Diaa on note:
https://note.com/socialcompass/m/mfaaa2a8e9ccc
Please support by purchasing his artwork so we can continue this effort!
👉 https://scompass.base.shop/
