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: The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kuwait opened a condolence book, on Monday, to honor the victims of the recent aggression against Iran. The event was attended by officials, ambassadors, and media. Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Toutounchi expressed his appreciation for the positions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, especially Kuwait, regarding the recent events, noting that Kuwait’s Foreign Minister had called his Iranian counterpart in a gesture that reflects the strength of bilateral relations, describing the presence of ambassadors at the embassy as “Noteworthy and Positive.”
The ambassador said in a statement that his country endured twelve days of intense aggression by the Zionist entity, joined by the United States in the final two days, explaining that Iran faced simultaneous attacks from countries equipped with nuclear capabilities and advanced technology, backed by NATO. He emphasized that the planners of this aggression had expected Iran to collapse within days. However, “The unity of the Iranian people inside and outside the country formed a formidable barrier.” He added that US intervention came only after ten days of failed efforts to achieve any ground breakthrough.
Toutounchi revealed that the number of victims exceeded 620 martyrs, with more than 5,356 wounded, including 13 children and 43 women, some of whom were pregnant, adding “Seven hospitals, six health centers, and dozens of ambulances were destroyed. These martyrs cannot be replaced whether they were children, military leaders, or academics, calling for the Zionist entity and the United States to be held accountable before international bodies to prevent such crimes from recurring.
Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Al-Manhal Al-Safi
Sudanese Ambassador to Kuwait Awadal-Karim Balla.
Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the ambassador reiterated Iran’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), pointing out that the country’s nuclear program, which represents less than 3 percent of global peaceful nuclear activities, has undergone over 23 percent of international inspections. He argued that this high inspection rate indicates no deviation toward military objectives.
He disclosed that Iran had recently agreed to five rounds of indirect negotiations aimed at reviving the diplomatic track and ensuring the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. He also stressed that Iran’s response against US military and intelligence bases in Qatar was a legitimate act of self-defense and was not directed at any neighboring countries, affirming Iran’s full respect for their sovereignty. He noted that Iran had communicated with Qatari leadership to clarify its position, stating that military bases in neighboring countries used by US forces cannot be considered safe havens for launching attacks.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Al-Manhal Al-Safi expressed his deep gratitude to Kuwait’s leadership, government, and people for facilitating the return of over 3,000 stranded Iraqi citizens by issuing more than 3,500 transit visas in just 12 days. The Iraqi ambassador affirmed his country’s full solidarity with Iran and condemned the aggression, revealing that Zionist aircraft had breached Iraqi airspace, prompting Baghdad to file an official complaint with the UN Security Council.
In the same context, the Sudanese Ambassador to Kuwait Awadal-Karim Al-Rayah Balla offered his condolences to Iran, describing the incident as “A blatant and unacceptable attack.” He called for regional unity to confront shared challenges, emphasizing that the targeting of Iran threatens all free peoples in the region. He urged a joint response to protect stability and to revive the Palestinian cause as a priority. The Sudanese envoy also pointed to the double standards in the international system, calling for crises to be addressed through international legitimacy rather than the imposition of forceful agendas.
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