Not All Hands Are For Help by Khan Shamim Akhtar

Not All Hands Are for Help shows the deep disturbance Khan Shamim Akhtar feels in his prayers because of the ongoing conflict in Palestine. The prayer mat (janamaz), which is usually a sacred space for connecting with God, is visually and emotionally affected by the harsh realities that we see in the news. As the artist prays for the survival of Palestinians, he recognizes that others raise their hands against that hope. Khan Shamim was inspired by the moment when the United States vetoed the UN ceasefire bill 5th time with a show of hands. Two contrasting symbolic gestures: on the left, the red hand of the U.S. senator raised to block peace; on the right, the small, fragile hand of a Palestinian child reaching for help amid destruction. Though both hands are raised, they represent opposing intentions—one to deny relief, the other to desperately seek it—capturing the harsh paradox of global politics and human suffering.

This artwork was exhibited at Method in the group exhibition "The Parliament is Now in Session" (August 2025).