I almost didn’t make it to this planet. My existence has been threatened since I was in the womb of my mother….
Everyday is women’s day. Today I acknowledge indigenous women, oppressed women and Palestinian women whose voices are the most silenced.
To be a Palestinian woman is an honor, a legacy & a responsibility.
We carry a message that travels with us one generation after the other. 🗝️
We carry traumas that tell the stories of our ancestors ethnic cleansing & suffering.
We carry resilience that is coded in our DNA 🧬
We carry ancient wisdom & medicine.
Being a Palestinian woman has given me the greatest joy and the most rejections in the world.
My whole life I had to fight for who I am, my identity and my safety.
Ever since I was in my mother’s womb I had to fight for being Palestinian. My mother was hit by a tear gas bomb while 7-8 months pregnant with me. I almost did not make it to this planet.
I had to run from tear gas bombs 💣 on my way home from school
I missed bullets by minutes shot right where I was standing minutes after leaving, by my oppressor.
I am often held in airports for random checks 🙄
Even if I carry an American passport.
I lived dehumanization and humiliation since I was a child just for being Palestinian. Stood in lines at checkpoints. Held in buses for a whole day at the bridge just to travel. And the list goes on.
Yet, I would not trade my identity for anything in the world. It’s my greatest pride and joy.
I am here to answer my benevolent ancestors prayers.
To be the one that gets to live
To be the one that gets to thrive
To be the one that heals generational trauma
To be the one that honors her gifts, wisdom and indigenous medicine for all those who couldn’t before me
🤲🏼🕊️🗝️ I pray that I carry this legacy and share it through my words, my Art, my existence on behalf of the ancestors who couldn’t.
May we all reclaim the sacred wisdom of our ancestors, like seeds that never die, but continue to birth new life and new paradigms.
“They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds” 🐦🔥
Dena
@levantinian
Update: this painting raised $6000 in donations to Fajr Scientific for G’azza. Alhamdulliah 🙏
It’s been an absolute honor to paint the Earth Angel Dr. Tahir 🙏. For the last 30 days I have been painting some days حتى مطلع الفجر “ till dawn” to make it ready for the Fajr Gala! Dr. Tahir is one of the most powerful inspiring people. Through his eyes he showed us reality on the ground in Ghazzeh on his medical mission and showed us so much faith and resilience.
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Oil on Canvas, portrait of Dr. Tahir @nervesurgeon , created for @fajrscientificus Gala in Washington DC, Feb 15.
I am grateful how this all aligned by the grace of God. I was following Dr. Tahir early on in his journey and amazed by his devotion, care, empathy, faith and resilience and much more. God has his ways of aligning us with people, I met the INCREDIBLE Dr. Nasser @drmosabnasser CEO and co-founder of Fajr in person, and asked me to paint this portrait for the Gala. I am grateful to be volunteering with the team and donating this painting. 🥰🙏
I feel my best when I wear my tatreez, earrings from the homeland, and a black eyeliner. I feel and look like my ancestors.
This shawl I got from Ramallah, West bank, and the Earrings from a merchant in the alleys of the old city of Jerusalem, Palestine.
Embracing my bloodline that the world tried to erase and dehumanize for decades
They try so hard to make us stop celebrating our roots & culture. But nice try! We have events almost every weekend here in the DMV.
From this weekend’s Arab Culture Event organized with @quartertonez a family owned P@l €st!nian Music school.
Thob Dress that i’m wearing is by @thobnah (my 5th grade bestie 🥰)
@zezefbaby bought this customized hand painted (Iraq 🇮🇶) bag from me probably back in 2019! It was so good to see how the bag and paint has held up beautifully since then 🥰 when we met again this weekend at the Arab Cultural Festival with @quartertonez
She is also one of the members of an amazing women’s Dabkeh group here in the DMV area called @malikat_al_dabke
DMV area Community Events, Festivals & Vendor Booths
@quartertonez@luluscafedc
Please share the flyers on next slides to help more DMV people see those events! 🙏
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📝 For those local to Fairfax County:
This year I’m back at the Lake Anne Reston Farmer’s market but only about 2x a month or so. As I prioritize our local Arab Events when they’re available + I’m taking more time off to paint and create! This month I’ll be at Lake Anne Plaza on the 30th only. You can always inbox me to check! ❤️
Laimoon original painting is SOLD 🍋she found her special home. 🥰
Prints continue to be available- the 8x10 inches size has been restocked.
Prints are Giclee prints on Archival Museum quality paper.
I’m so grateful for the power of community & this online space that allows me to directly connect with my customers across the world. 10 years ago this was just a dream.
Early in 2025 I was uncomfortable to Vend at my local Farmer’s & Crafts Market.
But most people surprised me, with their awareness & solidarity.
This year i’m back! And people like this customer today continue to give me hope!
He wanted this hand painted denim shirt and his friends offered to get it as his birthday gift. He said “I don’t need a bag, I want to walk around wearing it”.
This is something that was unheard of a couple of years ago. And I never want to beautify the g€n0c!-de as a reason for this awareness, but rather want to glorify the power of the people, globally, in the awareness we have raised over the past 2 years, in the face of a trillion $$ pr0paganda machine.
We have been invisible, unheard & dehumanized for decades. And one of my core intentions with these booths I did all of last year at American markets is to normalize our presence and existence in spaces where we never existed before, used to be rejected or misunderstood.
Here’s a moment of hope, from my booth today ❤️
This amazing company has created a thoughtful and unique doll to represent a beautiful Palestinian child with a matching storybook. May there always be representation in this globe for the beautiful, kind, courageous, brilliant children of Palestine for every purchase from @muzzy.brand the net profits are donated to the wonderful organisation @heal.palestine
It is my wish, that one day soon, every Palestinian child will enjoy their childhood freely, safely, and happily! Enshallah, one day soon! And thank you for all of you speaking up for Palestinians right now. ✊🍉🇵🇸🫶🏻
My beautiful T-shirt was designed by @levantinian 🇵🇸♥️
#partner
