Despite fame, Gazan painter struggles to make living
Renowned Gaza artist Fathi Ghaben has suffered from poverty and feels cheated, but still believes he will be rewarded for his work someday.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Sometimes, artists' vivid brushstrokes belie their struggles. So it is with well-known Palestinian painter Fathi Ghaben.
Al-Monitor recently visited Ghaben’s residence in the al-Nasr neighborhood, where poverty was evident in his house: its asbestos ceiling, the stones of its unpainted walls and broken furniture. Yet, in contrast to other poor houses, it offered an air of abundance through the artistic and financial value of the paintings hanging on the gloomy walls.
Ghaben is aware of his paintings’ value, some of which sell for as much as $250,000 outside the Gaza Strip. Yet he sees none of the money. He told Al-Monitor, “Some of those who bought my paintings at a low price in Gaza sold them for thousands of dollars abroad. I cannot travel to claim my rights, and a large part of the profit has gone to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s cultural institutions."
Ghaben confirmed that a publishing company he preferred not to name had capitalized on some of his paintings in the 1980s and printed them on thousands of posters that were sold abroad. The company’s owner received all the profits while Ghaben did not receive a penny, he said.
