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Illegal Inhabitants

Despite barriers of separation walls and barbed wires separating Palestinians inside Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank, the people on both sides remain part of one collective connected by vital familial and social ties and feelings of belonging to the land on either side. The physical barriers preventing the free movement of Palestinians have created a situation where the entry of Palestinians from occupied territories into Palestinian cities and villages inside Israel is considered illegal by the Israeli authorities. They become fugitives constantly pursued by Israeli authorities, they are forced to work in secret and live in mountains and hide among trees to disappear.
In his paintings, Canaan depicts the empty sleeping areas of these workers. Makeshift beds in the orchards with eclectic sheets and scattered shoes evoke Van Gogh's bedroom. The remnants hinting at their presence serve as a reminder of the circumstances that rendered these workers illegal inhabitants in their homeland.

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