From Lily’s View – A Reception Honoring the Life & Photography of Lily

In 1948, the course of life would be altered forever for the Palestinian people in one of the most transformative and traumatic periods in Palestinian history. Palestine and its people faced the loss of homeland, access, and freedom of movement. Lily Bandak was born just a few weeks following, in Amman, Jordan. Later in life, Bandak would later confront her own challenges being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, limiting her mobility and freedom of movement. Neither Palestine nor Bandak confined themselves to be defined by loss.

Bandak embodied the Palestinian spirit of sumud – transforming obstacles into opportunities. With the assistance of technology at the time, Bandak was able to have developed a mount on her wheelchair to hold her camera, travelling to Jordan and throughout the SWANA region and photographing some its leaders, cultural heritage sites, and landscapes. Much of Bandak’s life’s work of photography was lost in a fire, making the photographs displayed in this exhibition priceless.

This exhibition highlights resilience as an adaptation and to not be defined by circumstances that have been imposed. Just as Palestinians continue to build lives, communities, and preserve cultural and historical heritage despite displacement and fragmentation, Bandak refused to allow physical limitations to determine her place in the world.

Join us for our exhibit opening; light refreshments and snacks will be served.