‘My Illustrations Are A Means Of Solidarity’: Indonesian Artist Hestu Nimas On How She Stands With Palestine

An abandoned stethoscope, a safety helmet with a ‘Press’ tag, an ownerless keffiyeh, and a poster with ‘Stand for Humanity’ written on a map of Palestine — all placed together on a yellow background isn’t merely an artistic composition. It is the debris of discarded memories scattered across the streets of ravaged Gaza that may be pushed to the footnotes of history, if not removed altogether. But an artist leaves her impression and it stays, sometimes as evidence of a time when history was compromised.  

Indonesian artist Hestu Nimas is one of the many artists who have been responding to the ongoing apartheid through her works on Instagram. A mother holding her blood-soaked child or a doctor hugging a mother who just lost her child — the everyday reality of Gaza appears repeatedly in Nimas’ illustrations.  

When most of the mainstream media turned their back on the truth, Nimas chose illustrations to share the truth. “Today’s media has changed, and now it can be turned into a very effective weapon. We can use new media to share our message. I use illustrations as a means to show support and as a form of humanitarian solidarity,” says the artist.  

Born on the island of Java to an artist father, Nimas’ upbringing was a bit different. “I liked staying at home and rarely played outside. I used to love reading books and magazines, listening to music, journalling, and doodling,” says Nimas. And gradually she honed her illustration skills. But she found meaning in art when she took a political stance through it, She says, “Yes, I stand with Palestine. I strongly support Palestine's freedom, Gaza’s freedom.”  

The imagination of the artist can go far beyond the limits of a specific place. Nimas, who has never been to Gaza, captures Gaza’s harsh reality poignantly. One of her illustrations shows a grieving mother at her daughter’s grave. However, in a surreal turn, her daughter comes up to her from behind, saying, “Don’t be sad, Umi, I am just sleeping for a while. We will meet again.” Such dream sequences seeped in the hope and faith of meeting their loved ones in Jannat perhaps make them resilient.  

In Nimas’ words, “I positioned myself as being in Gaza. Once, I dreamed at night that I was there. It’s really scary, it’s real. After that, I tried to express it through an illustration. I think about our brothers and sisters, how hard it is for them to survive.”  

One of her strongest illustrations springs from the Islamic idea of sabr or patience. In it, a gun pointed at a Palestinian woman whose mouth is covered to muzzle her voice, reads, “Duniya breaks, Allah heals.” Through these illustrations, she says, “I appreciate their tenacity and faith. From them, we learn about imaan; otherwise, the world becomes worthless.”  

As her iconic paintings embossed with “I Stand with Palestine” fill up her social media feeds, the message spreads far and wide–“We Resist”.  

By not getting used to it, 
By not getting tired, 
By explaining, arguing, fighting 
With friends, family, neighbours, 
Co-workers and acquaintances, 
By risking to lose our job.... 
We Resist!