Laila Shawa was a renowned Palestinian artist whose work addressed patriarchy in Arab society and women’s obedience to male control. Born in Gaza, she was eight years old during the Nakba. She studied in Egypt, Italy, and Austria, and after graduating, worked with the United Nations as a supervisor of children’s art programs in Gaza. Following the 1967 occupation of historic Palestine, Shawa moved to Beirut, remaining there until the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. She then returned to Gaza, where she continued supervising the construction of the Rashad Al-Shawa Cultural Center (named after her father) before ultimately moving to London, where she settled.
Shawa’s work is characterized by bold, vibrant colors. Working across painting, photography, and silkscreen, she produced art that combined visual intensity with sharp political critique. Her series The Walls of Gaza, for instance, reflected on the graffiti of the First Intifada.
Her work has been exhibited throughout Europe, the Arab world, Russia, China, Malaysia, and the United States. It is held in the collections of the British Museum and the National Galleries of both Jordan and Malaysia.