Mural of The Great Return
Steve Sabella – On a Journey to the Beginning and the End
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
Interview by Mohammed al-Assad & front page feature
May 15, 2019
The Great March of Return, which resembles a mural painted on a “space without borders”, is by the Palestinian artist Steve Sabella. Some who saw it for the first time said that it is the Palestinian Sistine Chapel, resembling the heavenly ceiling by the Italian painter Michelangelo. He painted the many stories of the creation of the world, its death and revival—the beginning and the end of time—between the years 1508-1512. This work is considered the peak of the Renaissance period, the period of revival.
We interviewed the artist Steve Sabella and it seems that this idea was not far from his mind. He worked for a long time creating a composition including more than 1000 photographs. The idea behind the work is of a rising nation embarking on a great return journey towards its homeland, that is, towards life again. Amidst fire, smoke, killing and destruction, a rising nation tells its stories…
In this conversation, we discover the context of the work, its source of inspiration, the concerns of the artist and his unique techniques, using the colours in photographic images like the painter uses his brushes and palette.