From snapshots to sculpture: Palestinian photographer’s second calling

Published: 8 November 2019

Last updated: 4 March 2024

Palestinian artist Haitham Khateeb uses old metal wire to make art objects reflecting scenes of Palestinian daily life in the garden of his house in the West Bank village of Bilin

AFTER 14 YEARS AS a photographer in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, one Palestinian man has found his second calling through sculpture, telling stories by recycling metal wire into art. He says that while the effect of a news photo can be fleeting, a work of art remains over time.

In the garden of his small house in the village of Bilin, 43-year-old Haitham Khateeb twists and binds wires into images of the Palestinian experience — both tragic and joyous.

He says that by working with metal, he’s giving a sense of permanence and durability to scenes of Palestinian daily life “because we need to convey it to the world and [future] generations.”

His artworks range in size and include pastoral scenes of olive harvests and farmers cultivating their land. They also depict confrontations with Israeli troops and the ongoing protests along the Gaza Strip’s boundary with Israel.

For more than a decade, Khateeb’s village was itself a flashpoint for protests against Israel’s separation wall. The wall cuts off many villages from their fields and pastures, as was the case in Bilin.

“I carried the camera, and I began documenting what was going on in my village, and sent it to the media,” he said.

At times clashes erupted, and two protesters were killed by Israeli fire. Activists from around the world and Israeli supporters took part in the demonstrations, which helped them build momentum and brought worldwide media attention.

But as the demonstrations have quieted down in the last two years, Khateeb says he found himself with more free time.

FULL STORY Palestinian photographer finds second calling as wire sculptor (LA Times)

Photo: Palestinian artist Haitham Khateeb uses old metal wire to make art objects reflecting scenes of Palestinian daily life in the garden of his house in the West Bank village of Bilin (Majdi Mohammed/AP)