The Power of Paint
Hope Fowler
While in Belfast, it was clear that Northern Ireland, although a part of the United Kingdom, is still a divided nation. Murals of resistance and Irish nationalism contrasted with red white and blue lampposts and unionist red hands. The conflict of “The Troubles”, having ended less than 25 years earlier, still loomed in the air and was remembered and memorialized by many still alive today.
And yet, although these Troubles are memorialized in many ways, what struck me most were the memorials dedicated to events and issues thousands of miles from the Northern Irish coast. Murals for Pakistan, calls for universal change, and freedom flags sat alongside memorials for Bobby Sands and Bloody Sunday. On the first mural, seen above, the Pakistan flag in the backdrop to a man in a wheelchair launching a rock at someone outside of the frame. The caption reads “They took his land, his legs, and finally his life.” The use of violence in times of oppression is still a controversial topic, discussed by many including Gandhi and Frantz Fanon. This mural seems to be understanding towards this man’s use of violence, as he has lost everything, and for his final act chooses to fight against those who have taken everything from him.
In the second mural, it speaks directly on the Palestinian conflict, and talks about how Israel is an apartheid state. The mural calls for a boycott of Israel and lists three other demands as well. It is clear from these two murals that a general sense of oppressor and oppressed dominates the narrative of social change, as Israel is being painted as the oppressor while Palestine is being painted as the oppressed. These two murals sit side by side, confronting people with the conflict and telling them exactly what they can do about it.
In the final mural, there is a call for universal change and togetherness. For a state that is so divided, it is interesting to see how they respond to oppression of any kind. Their fight is not a singular fight, it is a collective fight of the oppressed against the oppressor that still lives on today.
One of the reasons why this stuck out to me was simply how vocal and new this all seemed. The Palestinian conflict, which peaked in May of 2021, was memorialized directly next to Bobby Sands, and both paintings looked equally as new. In this class we have talked a lot about memory, and clearly the memory of the Troubles is still fresh in the minds of the Northern Irish people. These events, although occurring 40 years apart, are being memorialized with the same paint, forcing passersby to remember their own fight for freedom and how this fight may be affecting the Palestinian people today.
