Artwork with names of 300 slain infants from Gaza wins audience award in Wales

An artwork featuring the names of 300 infants who were killed in Gaza won the audience award at a festival in Wales. The piece, created by artist Dian Williams, was exhibited at the Y Lle Celf exhibition and received the Joseph Herman Prize through visitor voting. The artist donated the £500 prize money to Medical Aid for Palestinians.

An artwork documenting the names of 300 infants who were killed in the Gaza Strip before reaching their first year has won the 'People's Choice' award at the National Eisteddfod art festival in Wales. The piece, created by artist Dian Williams, who hails from Anglesey, consists of a children's sleepwear garment embroidered with the names of 300 infants from Gaza, who were not given the chance to complete their first year due to the Israeli aggression. The work was exhibited at the Y Lle Celf exhibition, one of the festival's most prominent art exhibitions, before winning the 'Joseph Herman' award, which is granted based on votes from exhibition visitors. This award differs from most of the festival's main prizes, as the public chooses the work that resonates most emotionally, away from the decisions of expert juries. Williams said after receiving the award, worth £500, that creating the piece was a 'deeply emotional experience', explaining that she documented the names of 300 infants from Gaza who had not reached their first year. She added that these names represent only a 'very small fraction' of the children killed in Gaza, stressing that she felt a moral obligation to complete the work with the aim of keeping what is happening in the Strip present in daily discourse. The artist announced she would donate the monetary value of the award to the organization 'Medical Aid for Palestinians' (MAP). In turn, festival organizers explained that the 'Joseph Herman' award aims to give the public the opportunity to interact directly with artworks and express their opinions, choosing the work that has the most impact on them, away from the choices of official juries.