Since it was set up on the evening of Sunday, April 28, the ongoing Palestine solidarity encampment in front of Usdan has grown into a lively scene of art-making and community building. From a capella singing, film screenings, and spoken poetry to painting, chalking, and calligraphy, a vibrant mix of creative expressions has invigorated the lawns between North College and Andrus Field.

Rowan Roudebush ’27, one of the student organizers of the encampment, discussed the importance of art in the campus movement for justice in Palestine amidst the prolonged war in the Gaza Strip.

“The art thing we do, it’s really to build our strength in this struggle, and to expand and deepen our own commitments,” Roudebush said. “I’m anticipating a lot of inspiring poetry and other pieces of art and music, and things that will allow us to grieve Palestinians and continue to fight for them and be in touch with our anger, in touch with our rage, and really strengthen what we see as possible in the world and at this university.”

Since the early morning of Monday, April 29, student artists have populated the walkways between North College and Andrus Field with colorful chalk-drawn symbols and statements expressing anti-war sentiments. Banners painted with slogans were also hung up on trees and the exterior walls of North College. One of the banners, painted with watermelons that have become emblematic of Palestinian solidarity, describes the encampment site as the University’s “Liberated Zone.”

Eliah Seignourel ’26, an art studio major involved in chalking the walkways and painting the banners, highlighted the visual importance of adopting the symbol of the watermelon in their art.

“[The watermelon] is…a simple but very effective symbol,” Seignourel said. “And also the green, red and black colors have been very important…. It was really fun to put [the banner] up.”

Later in the afternoon, Seignourel brought a sketchbook to the encampment site to continue painting for a class project. Although the piece was not specifically related to Palestine, Seignourel explained that being in the encampment space physically was an expression of solidarity. 

“So I was actually supposed to be in class for Drawing II [(ARST 332)], but my professor allowed me to take what I was working on and bring it to the encampment,” Seignourel said. “I think it’s just so important to assert ourselves in that space…. Definitely, it helps to feel like you’re contributing something to the space, and [doing art] does contribute something because it kind of asserts what we’re doing to everyone and brings everything together in a way that I think is really valuable. And it boosts morale, too. A really big part of morale at the encampment has been making art and visuals [and] writing things on posters that feel true to us.”

Beyond the traditional forms of art activism, such as chalking and banner painting, students have also brought various cultural artistic practices to the encampment site, inviting the community to create art that transcends ethnic and national boundaries.

On the edge of Andrus Field, several students with East Asian heritage have gathered to set up a booth where everyone, regardless of cultural background and experience, is welcome to write words in calligraphy, in multiple languages, on Chinese rice paper.

Xiran Tan ’24, one of the booth’s organizers, explained their inspiration and rationale behind using calligraphy to express solidarity with Palestine.

“During Lunar New Year…I saw on Instagram [that “Asians for Palestine”] were doing a more Chinese/Asian-oriented protest for Palestine,” Tan said. “I thought it was a really good way to utilize traditional art, which we always thought to be just an old, patriarchal, and nationalist tradition. But we appropriate that for a more liberatory cause…and also, [in doing so,] liberating this form of art as well.”

Czarina Yuffa ’25, who contributed calligraphy writing in English and also learned to write the word “freedom” in Chinese, commended the activity.

“I think it’s cool seeing all the different languages around and knowing that they all kind of mean around the same thing,” Yuffa said. “I think it’s been interesting watching everyone translate it…. I’ve also never done anything like this. So I think it’s cool to kind of copy along, but also, it’s fun.”

Tenzin Jamdol ’25, who also stopped by the booth to write Tibetan prayers for peace and freedom for Palestine, expressed that the multilingual calligraphy activity exemplified the student movement’s international focus.

“This is such a creative idea,” Jamdol said. “I think this really embodies transnational solidarity. Yesterday, [student speakers at the rally] mentioned how this is a moment to be in solidarity. No one’s free until everyone’s free.”

In addition to demonstrating solidarity that transcends cultural confines, Tan also wished to use calligraphy writing as a way to spark discourse within the Chinese international student community.

“It kind of speaks directly to the Chinese audience, which is an audience that I want to reach,” Tan said. “Just because it’s out in the open, I really want to have people gather and enjoy this activity as a communal activity as well as an opportunity to engage in discussions about why we care about Palestine—because I think, especially within the Chinese international student community, there’s not much discussion, and I really want to hear what people are thinking.”

Roudebush similarly spoke of utilizing art to raise awareness of the situation in the Middle East and on college campuses around the world.

“We don’t want the arts things we do to be a distraction from what’s happening in Gaza,” Roudebush said. “[It’s] more a way of bringing attention to it…. None of what we’re doing here is about us; it’s all about Gaza. It’s all about standing in solidarity and joining this powerful movement of students around the world that will bring about change.”

To that end, Jamdol stressed writing and art as a unique medium to communicate meaning and emotions.

“The written word is just such a special medium,” Jamdol said. “I think that there’s so much you can see with pictures, and there’s so much that we become numb to by seeing all these horrid images online that we kind of detach from the pain…. Using the written word and also through calligraphy and being creative through the written word just add ways to remind ourselves of the meaning [and] that the scale of the horror is just so unfathomable. I think that what [they] are doing—opening up ways to communicate about it and feel—is so meaningful.”

Echoing Jamdol’s sentiment, Roudebush emphasized that art making is a vital tool in the transnational fight for justice.

“This liberated zone and this revolution that we’re building is a powerful space to reflect on how art can be utilized and mobilized for liberation, for Palestinians and Gaza, [and to] figure out how we link our struggles and see ourselves in Palestinian resistance as we fight alongside them,” Roudebush said.

Sida Chu can be reached at schu@wesleyan.edu.