“National Symbols in Palestinian Visual Arts: Their Use and Transformations from Aesthetic Expression to the Documentation of National Identity and Collective Memory.”
This research aims to analyze the transformation of national symbols in Palestinian visual art between 1948 and 2025, demonstrating their transition from purely aesthetic elements to documentary and resistant visual tools that embody national identity and collective memory. The study employs a semiotic framework and historical analysis of central symbols such as the keffiyeh, the key, the olive tree, the map of Palestine, and the Palestinian woman, and examines their emergence and evolution in relation to major political events, including the Nakba, the Naksa, the Intifadas, and the war on Gaza following October 7, 2023.
The findings indicate that national symbols have moved beyond decorative or ornamental functions to constitute a visual language that conveys political and historical meaning, documents Palestinian experience, and reinforces narratives of resistance. New symbols—such as the watermelon motif and the red triangle—have emerged, reflecting the adaptability of Palestinian visual culture and its capacity to respond to political transformations. These symbols have also circulated globally through digital media, artistic production, and public demonstrations.
The study concludes that the use of symbolic representation varies across artistic generations: early artists relied on direct and realistic symbolism, whereas contemporary artists have employed conceptual forms and multimedia practices while maintaining the resistant and political dimension. Palestinian visual art has consequently become a visual archive that preserves national identity and narrative and functions as a form of cultural resistance against erasure.
The research recommends establishing national databases for documenting visual symbols, integrating visual-symbol analysis into educational curricula, supporting artists in Palestine and the diaspora, expanding interdisciplinary research, and promoting the use of digital and interactive media to disseminate Palestinian symbols to a global audience.
- Title
- مجلة جامعة النجاح للبحوث - ب (العلوم الإنسانية)
- Publisher
- مجلة جامعة النجاح الوطنية
- Publisher Country
- Palestine
- Indexing
- Scopus
- Impact Factor
- None
- Publication Type
- Online only
- Volume
- 40
- Year
- 2025
- Pages
- --