London hosts Yusuf Aygeç’s solo exhibition bearing witness to Gaza’s destruction
London’s P21 Gallery will host a solo exhibition by Turkish artist A. Yusuf Aygeç examining memory, displacement and resistance in the context of Israel’s attacks on Gaza since October 2023. Curated by Samed Karagöz, the exhibition approaches the humanitarian crisis through drawing and symbolism rather than direct depictions of violence, positioning art as a form of historical witnessing.
P21 Gallery in London will present Posters to the Olive Tree of Exile, a solo exhibition by Turkish artist A. Yusuf Aygeç, between 16 and 30 January 2026, with an opening event scheduled for 15 January. The exhibition focuses on Gaza, collective memory and exile, addressing the aftermath of Israel’s military operations that began in October 2023 and have drawn widespread international criticism from human rights organisations.
Art as a record of memory
Rather than portraying scenes of destruction directly, Aygeç’s drawings explore the emotional impact of war, displacement and loss. His works rely on line and absence to reflect how personal and collective memory is shaped under conditions of violence. The exhibition frames art as a method of preserving experiences that risk being erased over time.
The olive tree as a symbol of exile
Each piece in the exhibition is conceptually positioned as a message addressed to the olive tree, a symbol historically associated with endurance, land and resistance across the Mediterranean and Palestine. This approach places exile and continuity at the centre of the exhibition’s narrative, linking geography, identity and memory through visual language.
Poetry and political context
Texts accompanying the exhibition reference verses by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, creating a connection between literary memory and visual expression. Since October 2023, Gaza has experienced large-scale displacement and civilian casualties, with international observers increasingly describing the situation as a crime against humanity. Within this context, the exhibition presents art as an ethical space of documentation and remembrance.
Artist and curator
Born in Istanbul in 1989, Aygeç is a graduate of Marmara University’s Faculty of Fine Arts and has previously exhibited in Türkiye and internationally, including at Contemporary Istanbul and Christie’s Dubai. The exhibition is curated by Samed Karagöz, a curator and writer whose work centres on exile, resistance and contemporary political aesthetics.
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