By Passant Hisham and Christine Susan Shine
KUWAIT: In her deeply personal exhibition “Feels Like Yesterday,” Palestinian artist Reem Zaghmout invites viewers into an emotional journey shaped by longing for a homeland she has never truly known.
“Culture and creative expression allow us to share our story with the world,” said Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub, during a visit to the exhibition. “Through art, the world can understand the Palestinian struggle, witness the reality of our people, and stand in solidarity with our cause.”
Represented by Hunna Art Gallery, which currently showcases 18 women artists with connections to the Arab Peninsula, Zaghmout as a vital voice in contemporary Middle Eastern art, cementing her role as a visual storyteller of the Palestinian experience. Her art is being showcased in Kuwait at an exhibition held in collaboration with the Palestinian Embassy and Hunna Art Gallery at Design District in Shuwaikh Industrial until May 22.
Ambassador Tahboub highlighted the role of art as “one of the most powerful tools of resistance.” He noted that Zaghmout’s work is deeply rooted in lived experience, not merely imagination. “Her paintings are emotional reflections of her daily feelings to Palestine,” he said. “They portray the ongoing suffering of Palestinians, especially in light of the current tragedy in Gaza.”
An art piece by Palestinian artist Reem Zaghmout depicting a white lily.
An art pieces showing crumpled paper, a common theme in Zaghmout’s work.
Curator Oceane Sailly (right) and Palestinian Ambassador Rami Tahboub observe Reem Zaghmout’s work displayed at Hunna Art Gallery.
An art piece showing oranges, one of several fruits tied to the Palestinian landscape featured in Zaghmout’s work.
Curator Oceane Sailly, director of Hunna Art Gallery, echoed this, noting that Zaghmout’s art resonates with the shared pain of displacement that many Palestinians feel. “There’s a constant longing for a homeland she never truly knew,” Sailly said. “She’s always exploring the locus of memory.”
Though Zaghmout resides outside of Palestine, her artwork conveys a profound sense of connection and longing, a theme Sailly described as central to the exhibition’s first series. These works focus on symbolic fruits, watermelons, pomegranates, and Jaffa oranges, each tied to the Palestinian landscape and cultural memory. Zaghmout reimagines these fruits not only as links to heritage but as objects of domestic intimacy.
Her recurring use of peeled oranges and scattered leaves draws from her childhood memories of her mother, turning everyday moments into symbols of both personal and political reflection. The ambassador noted the significance of these agricultural symbols, famously grown in Jaffa, Gaza, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Tulkarem, as tributes to Palestinian identity, heritage and resilience.
The second series, Sailly explained, presents paintings that resemble crumpled paper, an illusion that invites viewers to examine what lies beneath the surface. “The fragmented nature of these artworks speaks to the incomplete and often painful process of remembering,” she said.
A standout element in the exhibition is Zaghmout’s final series, inspired by drawings made by Palestinian children. Works like “A Little Girl (Dima),” “Open, O Flower, “and “As the Tree,” carry childlike innocence while serving as expressions of loss, endurance and hope. These pieces, while playful in style, reflect the emotional testimonies of survival, underscoring what Ambassador Tahboub described as “the ongoing suffering” but also the enduring strength of the Palestinian spirit.
KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) Khalifa Al-Ajeel said on Monday that protecting the commercial and industrial system is a “national responsibility that requires concerted efforts.”
Minister Al-Ajeel emphasized in a statement to KUNA following an extensive inspection campaign in the south Amghara scrap yard, to “firmly deal with all violations and encroachments in accordance with legal frameworks where no one is above the law.”
Al-Ajeel confirmed the continuation of inspection campaigns as well until the desired goals are reached, foremost being is restoring order and discipline to the area and removing all violations and encroachments.
He affirmed the ministry and the PAI’s commitment to cooperating with relevant authorities to continue these campaigns to ensure a safe and organized industrial and commercial environment.
The campaign resulted in the seizure of several violations and closure of several non-compliant units in preparation for taking necessary legal action against their exploiters.
Participating in the campaign was General Fire Force (KFF) Chief Major General Talal Al-Roumi, along with several executive leaders from the PAI. — KUNA
CAIRO: The 56th regular session of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights commenced on Monday with the participation of Kuwait and representatives from Arab states concerned with human rights affairs. In his opening address, Ahmed Maghari, supervisor of the Human Rights Department at the League of Arab States, underscored the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling it a stark indicator of the region’s human rights reality. “We cannot speak of the state of human rights without acknowledging the catastrophic conditions faced by our brothers in Gaza, where securing the most basic necessities has become a matter of survival,” he said. Maghari described the ongoing Zionist aggression in Gaza as a profound moral and humanitarian challenge, noting that the Palestinian people continue to endure daily suffering under constant bombardment, displacement and destruction. He lamented the international community’s continued inaction in the face of clear violations of international law and human rights norms. “The occupying power persists in defying international legitimacy and the decisions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice,” he said.
The 56th session of the Arab Permanent Committee on Human Rights kicks off, chaired by Kuwait.- KUNA photos
Held at a time of mounting regional tensions, the session comes amid escalating challenges that directly affect fundamental human rights. Maghari highlighted the Committee’s historic role since its establishment in 1968 in developing the Arab human rights framework both legally and practically, while also fostering cooperation with regional and international partners. He expressed hope that the session would yield effective recommendations to help confront the pressing challenges in the region. He pointed to the rise of conflicts and violence globally, along with the resulting serious human rights violations, as major concerns.
Emerging issues such as the intersection of human rights with climate change, artificial intelligence, and the spread of alien ideologies that undermine human dignity were also noted. “In light of these challenges, we must reinforce our solidarity and collective action to enhance peace, stability, and the security of our societies,” Maghari added. The two-day session, chaired by Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi, Chairman of the Arab Permanent Committee for Human Rights, will review the General Secretariat’s report on the implementation of previous recommendations up to the 55th session.
Discussions will also focus on Zionist violations in occupied Arab territories, the plight of Arab prisoners and detainees in Zionist prisons, and the issue of the bodies of Palestinian and Arab martyrs held in so-called “numbered cemeteries.” Other agenda items include the Arab Charter on Human Rights and preparations for Arab Human Rights Day, which will be observed on March 16, 2026. Kuwait is represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah.— KUNA
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