Malak Mattar, If the Olive Trees Knew, 2026
If the Olive Trees Knew
An exhibition by Malak Mattar & Peter KennardCurated by Gabby Samara
1st - 12th April 2025
1st - 12th April 2025
BOTH Gallery is honoured to present ‘If the ‘Olive Trees Knew’, an exhibition of works by Palestinian artist Malak Mattar and London-based artist Peter Kennard. Curated by Gabby Samara, the exhibition is a powerful visual manifestation of solidarity, bringing both artists together to showcase their commitment to Palestine. Through their paintings, drawings and prints, ‘If the Olive Trees Knew’ bears witness to Palestinian endurance in the face of the ongoing genocide.
Malak Mattar
“Growing up in the Gaza Strip, olive harvesting was my favourite time of the year.
It was a season of gathering with my cousins, family, and grandparents to collect olives from the trees in our yard. Each of us had a role. Some moved the branches so the olives would fall onto blankets spread beneath the trees. Others gathered the olives into bags, while the rest prepared them for storage in jars. The filled sacks would then be taken to the ma‘asarat al-zaytoon (olive press) to be turned into
It was a season of gathering with my cousins, family, and grandparents to collect olives from the trees in our yard. Each of us had a role. Some moved the branches so the olives would fall onto blankets spread beneath the trees. Others gathered the olives into bags, while the rest prepared them for storage in jars. The filled sacks would then be taken to the ma‘asarat al-zaytoon (olive press) to be turned into
oil. As a child, seeing oil made of olive trees like a river left me astonished. Olive trees carry a deep and precious meaning. They are symbols of land, connection, and gratitude, a heartbeat of memory and love. For generations, olive trees have been burned, uprooted, and bombed by the Israeli occupation leaving Palestinians heartbroken yet determined. In the Gaza Strip, around 80% of the trees have been destroyed including the olive trees in our yard. But the land does not forget its people, the indigenous hands that planted, cared for, and played beneath these branches. In this series of works, I return to the roots of the olive trees, finding strength in their resilience, in the beauty of memory, and in a quiet reminder of steadfastness. It feels like a therapy.”
Peter Kennard
“This powerful poem by the Palestinian poet, Marwan Makhoul, is titled ‘On Politics and Poetry’:
‘In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political I must listen to the birds
and in order for me to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent.’
and in order for me to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent.’
In my mind the word poetry is transformed to photomontage. It completely expresses my necessity to make art against the ongoing genocide in Palestine. I am honoured to be sharing this exhibition with Palestinian artist, Malak Mattar.”
The artists would like to thank the curator of the exhibition Gabby Samara and to Justine Hounam and the artists collective at BOTH Gallery.
Enquiries gabbysamara.design@gmail.com
Peter Kennard and Gabby Samara, Return 2025 ,راجعين
Peter Kennard, Palestine, 2023