[06] INNOCENCE LOST
Illustration | Print
On October 7th, the annual kite festival was meant to take place in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, an event where the community crafts and flies kites with messages of peace and hope. The founder of the festival, Aviv Kutz, was murdered that same day along with his family, as they were all found shot and huddled together in bed.
The kite, which most of us recognize as a symbol of childhood, lost its innocence and in Gaza , turned into a weapon of terror - the incendiary kite. On October 7th, the children of Otef Aza also lost their innocence. The exhibition "Innocence lost" presents the stories of some of these children in a way that is both naive and painful, offering a glimpse into the moments when their world was shattered.
The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Aviv, Livnat, Rotem, Yonatan, and Yiftach Kutz.
[Graduation Project, 2024]
the story
Each kite is accompanied by a small booklet telling the story of the family it represents.Every booklet begins with a map of the kibbutz, followed by the family’s story.Inside, a photograph serves as the visual starting point for the kite illustration, from Aviv and Raz Katz Asher eating cereal as the attack began, to the heartbreaking image of the Evan family lying together, the Idan family’s closet, and more.
visual language
The illustrations draw inspiration from children’s books and from drawings made by children themselves, works I collected since the beginning of the war, showing how they portray fire, smoke, and destruction.
Created digitally using a colored-pencil technique, the illustrations appear bright and innocent, yet depict scenes of loss and devastation.
The Solution
Each kite was based on extensive research of both the stories and the kibbutzim, reflecting their landscapes and symbols, from the entrance signs of the communities, the celebration stage in Nahal Oz, the water tower in Be’eri and more.
