' Power of Design' event examines effect of illustrations on global protests for Palestine

By Omer Faruk Yildiz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Power of Design: Palestine Resistance event held Wednesday at the Hagia Sophia campus in Istanbul, addressed the significance of visual elements in worldwide protests and boycotts in response to Israel's actions in Palestine.

It was organized by the Graphic Design Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University (FSMFVU).

A graphic designer for Anadolu, Omar Zaghloul, presented examples of famous designs from the 1970s when the global Palestinian resistance began.

"One should not dismiss it as a simple design. A well-made and meaningful design can quickly touch the hearts of people and become the voice of a nation's resistance,” said Zaghloul.

He explained the meaning of the patterns on the "keffiyeh" scarf, which has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Assistant professor at FSMVU, Amine Refika, said designs created by illustrators from around the world have become symbols of protests in many countries following Israel's attacks on Gaza last month.

Refika mentioned websites such as formesdesluttes.org and justseeds.org, where a majority of pro-Palestinian designs from around the world are gathered.

The designs are accessible for free to be used in protests and boycott campaigns globally, she said.

“As seen, design is powerful, and the designer is a power on their own. A designer has concerns and emotions, and they design to express these concerns,” she added.

Illustrator Cemile Agac Yildirim talked about the designs she has created since the beginning of Israel's attacks in Gaza and emphasized the power of design.

"Illustration means ornamentation, decoration, and shining. My preferred meaning is shining. We convey and shine a thought or message to the audience through the universal language of art, which is painting,” said Yildirim.

"I am not a person who can go out on the street and shout, but I can do it with my lines. This art means more than just drawing; it means conveying messages, telling long stories. Pages of text can be extracted from an illustration,” she said.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul