Colors above all, to shine a light against indifference, red symbolizing pain and blood, the sense of horror experienced in Gaza. This is the message of the art of Filomena Canu, a passionate painter who passed away two years ago in Porto Torres at the age of 69. She leaves behind her profound sensitivity and the paintings she created in 2020, when the genocide had not yet begun, but the country was suffering years of conflict.
Her works, which she herself has called “Thinking of Gaza,” were recently exhibited at the cultural event “Radici di Sardegna,” one of the initiatives focusing on the sad situation in Palestine.
His art recounts the tragedy experienced by the Palestinian people, like a premonition, as if struck by the many episodes of violence to which the children of that sad and tormented strip of land were subjected. A collection of 150 paintings, some unfinished, but capable of expressing the heart and soul of those who condemned that barbarity, a lifelong experience, made even more intolerable by recent events. Oils, tempera, and even coffee grounds, to create and experiment with different styles and forms, human, sad faces, demanding justice.
"She was horrified by what had been happening in Palestine for years," says her husband, Benedetto Sechi, promoter of one of the initiatives dedicated to Gaza, in collaboration with journalist Marco Santopadre, at the "Radici di Sardegna" event.
"Even though she didn't know about the events of October 7th, when the war began, it almost seems as if she were there, given her ability to sensitively address human rights issues, particularly violence against children. These paintings, in fact, are the ones that best represent her."
On the occasion of the event dedicated to her, entitled “Panerose for a Human Mediterranean,” the paintings were sold at a public auction, with the proceeds donated to Emergency.
