Gaza City –  A ruthless siege coupled with a worsening political and humanitarian situation and an overwhelming sense of despair are all factors that many artists in Gaza say inspire them, yet at the same time, restrict their work.

Visual artists, for example, face the difficulty of transferring their art pieces outside of the besieged strip. Another challenge is having access to working material which entirely depends on the help of those who manage to travel to and from Gaza.

For musicians, finding a place to perform rehearsals is a difficult enough task. Social constraints also make performing in public almost impossible. Therefore, they create their audience online, the same way that they compose and create their songs. 

Most of the artists featured in this photo gallery are internationally acclaimed. However, with the siege in place they cannot attend their own exhibitions even when held in places like Jerusalem, less than one hundred kilometers away. 

In a society struggling to survive, artists in Gaza do not enjoy a lot of attention. They are an isolated but living community that is worth exploring.