The absurdist news about a would-be prisoner-of-antisemitic conscience, whose daring act of support for the Palestinians consists in refusing to sell her artwork to Zionists, can be found here: “Arts School in London Urged to Investigate Student Refusing to Sell Artwork to Zionists,” by Shiryn Ghermezian, Algemeiner, May 29, 2024:
The Slade School of Fine Art in London has come under fire after one of its students said she refuses to sell her artwork to Zionists.
On May 20, Betty Ogún posted on her Instagram Story: “I will never, ever support genocide. I will not sell to Zionist collectors and I will continue to do what I can to support human rights, peace and equal rights for all. Free Palestine.”…
Nothing says “I support human rights, peace, and equal rights for all” so well as standing tall for Hamas, the terror group which crushes the human rights of the Palestinians it rules over in Gaza, wages endless war against Israel, and refuses to treat non-Muslims as equal to Muslims. As for “genocide” that brave Betty Ogún will ”never, ever support,” that’s nice to know, but does she realize that the IDF, too, “will never, ever support genocide,” as is shown by its conduct of the war in Gaza? In order to minimize civilian casualties, the IDF has made a colossal effort, by sending 16 million messages, making 15 million prerecorded calls and 100,000 personal phone calls, and dropping 9 million leaflets, to warn civilians in Gaza away from places and buildings that are about to be targeted. There is no “genocide” by the IDF in Gaza. The only attempt at “genocide” in the vicinity of Israel/Palestine has been that by the terror group Hamas, when 3,000 of its operatives smashed into Israel on October 7, burning children alive, mass-raping, torturing, mutilating, and murdering girls, slicing off the breasts of women and playing catch with them, cutting off the genitalia of men and in some cases, gouging out their eyes, before finally killing them. That is “genocide.”
Ogún exhibited her artwork at Slade’s 2024 BA/BFA degree show, which took place from May 17-23. She included a piece titled “River to Sea / Flower of Liberation,” which featured a textile in the shape of a flower that was designed in the colors of the pan-African and pan-Arab flags, Ogún explained in an Instagram post. The textile flower was green, red, black and white, and was displayed on a chair during the degree show.
The statement made by Ogún’s artwork shown at the degree show was none too subtle. One piece was titled “River to Sea,” which the world’s anti-Zionists have made famous as a sinister chant — “From the river to the sea/Palestine shall be free.” That is a call for the lone Jewish state to be destroyed and replaced by a 23rd Arab state. Betty Ogún is all for it. In her view, there is no place for Zionists anywhere. Jews are not entitled to a state of their own; they must leave “Palestine” and “return to the countries in Europe they came from.”
Aside from her titling one work “River to Sea,” there is also her choice of colors for her art work — red, black, green, and white — that is, the colors of the Palestinian flag, plus white. I’m only surprised she didn’t make the “bloody hand” symbol — alluding to the murders in Ramallah in 2000 of two Israelis, Vadim Nurzhitz and Yosef Abrahami — part of her oeuvre.
“Blooming flowers are often a symbol of hope, growth, regeneration and resilience,” Ogún said, elaborating on her intention behind the creation. “These colors signify my transparent solidarity as an artist with the rights of those experiencing oppression and genocide in countries that are represented by these colors, i.e. Palestine, Sudan. The flower, in its composition, will remind you of a watermelon, which is the Palestinian symbol of resilience. When you come to my show and sit in the chair with this textile piece, you are facing Palestine.”…
So much rodomontade and gibble-gabble by this ridiculous art student. That pretentious business about “hope, growth, regeneration and resilience.” Those colors that “signify my transparent solidarity as an artist with the rights of those experiencing oppression and genocide.” She fails to recognize that there is no “genocide” in “Israel/Palestine” save for that attempted by the terror group Hamas on October 7, and that greatest genocide in the world today is taking place in Sudan, with Arabs mass-murdering black Africans. That’s not something she cares to recognize.
UKFLI told The Algemeiner on Wednesday that four of Ogún’s photographs and paintings are being sold on the website of Saatchi Art, which describes itself as “the world’s leading online art gallery.” The gallery sells many artworks by Israeli artists, and is named after and owned by famed art collector Charles Saatchi, who was born in 1943 to a Jewish family in Iraq.
Is there not something hypocritical here? Ms. Ogún is selling four of her works on the website of Saatchi Art, owned by the art collector AND ZIONIST Charles Saatchi?
But a larger question remains: why are Jewish groups determined to force Ms. Ogún to allow Zionists to buy her art work? Who cares? What Zionist in his right mind would want to support the anti-Zionist and antisemitic Ms. Ogún? Don’t make a fuss over this. Forget, for the nonce, trying to enforce Section 29 of the UK’s Equalities Act 2010, which prohibits a person supplying goods to the public or a section of the public from discriminating against persons with protected characteristics by not supplying them. That’s fine to invoke if you are dealing with a case of a bakery or a department store refusing to sell to Jews (a/k/a Zionists). But art works are a different matter. Artists like the young, brain-addled and impecunious Ms. Ogún are desperate to sell.
Welcome her statement. And offer another one, only half-humorously, by way of retort: “We advise all those who support Israel not to buy any artwork offered by Betty Ogún. She boycotts Zionists and Zionists must boycott her.” You know which side will suffer.
WPM says
Islam does not believe art representing any living thing is acceptable ,Shira complaint Moslems would gleefully burn her art work and burn her if they had a chance. Much like queers for Palestinian who would be thrown off the rooftops in the Gaza or west bank areas if they visited there ..
Michelle says
Good point. I do not know all the rules and restrictions in Islam, but I know it is clear music is haram and art is restricted. You can verify this by just typing in music or paintings at a website like sunnah.com. I am sure she would run into problems and get punished in a Muslim country. Of course, the river to sea chant is code for eliminating Israel and Palestine had a ceasefire until Hamas built tunnels and plotted a genocide. Some of her points are inaccurate propaganda. Maybe she thinks this way because she never heard the other side or it is peer pressure or a convenient way to get support.
gravenimage says
So true, WPM.
Mick says
Shia art is not so restricted. Lots of pictures of men hunting on horseback.
As long as images or music do not corrupt, no problem. So it’s a no to Rubens and Sweet Little Sixteen
gravenimage says
Islam is fine with raping prepubescent underaged girls–so long as they are “married” or sex slaves. This is all on the model of the pedophile “Prophet”.
Michelle says
She will not sell to the people protecting her rights and many other things she enjoys and takes for granted. Hamas started this and plotted the largest killing of Jews in the 21st century. The Hamas Charter is openly available on the Internet and calls for the killing (i.e. genocide) of Jews and makes it clear they will attack again.
maria says
I would never buy anything from her. she supports the muslim murderers so boycott her .
She is a hamas fan
tim gallagher says
No doubt this person will be a bit of a hero among all those moronic, know nothing or just plain evil pro-hamas students because of this useless bullshit. That is probably all that she is hoping to achieve, to become a star among that crowd of useless pro-hamas shitheads. Pretty pathetic, but in those circles I suppose it resonates with her peers. She’ll be a celebrity among that crowd for a few minutes. For most sensible people, just a misguided idiot.
mgoldberg says
The picture of cowardice….. is what it actually represents.
‘False pictures pretending and preening’, is what her art show should be called
gravenimage says
‘Artist’ at Slade School in London Won’t Sell Her Work to Zionists
……………………………….
What an idiot, given Israel is the only democracy and only nation with equal rights in the region.
Her art is–unsurprisingly–pretty bad:
https://www.saatchiart.com/bettyogun
Claptrap like this is why it is often embarrasing to even identify myself as an artist. Just sad.
tgusa says
You shouldn’t be embarrassed. I’m sure you are a better artist than her even on your worst day. She took four lousy pictures. Must have been hard for her.
She should put all her effort in to hope while praying for growth and regeneration as an artist but she has to be resilient cause that probably wont happen.
gravenimage says
Thank you, tgusa.
John Smith says
When I first looked at this link,I thought, “getting hot in here” Oh that’s quite a detailed painting. Then I looked a bit closer and realised it was a photo. Infact her actual art work is bloody rubbish, who the hell would want to buy them.
John Pepple says
Exactly right. The Zionists should count this as a win.
Dr. George Paul Stain says
I looked her work up. She is flattering herself to thing anyone wants to buy it. Ugliness can take many forms not just her painting.
Phil Copson says
Betty Ogun: “I will never, ever support genocide. I will not sell to Zionist collectors and I will continue to do what I can to support human rights, peace and equal rights for all. Free Palestine.”…
———————————————————————————————————-
Translation: “I couldn’t care less about genocide; unless, of course, it’s the intended extermination of the Jewish people world-wide – in which case, it has my full support.
Nobody buys my rubbish, and I very much hope to rectify this by grand-standing about things concerning which I know absolutely nothing, and selling it to rich Guardian readers who know even less but wish to burnish their Left-wing credentials by displaying a “conversation piece” by an edgy, pro-Palestinian, non-binary, non-talented artist.
I will take whatever money is offered no matter where it comes from, and loudly claim to be “donating 50% of all my art sales to the Palestinians” – whilst actually keeping it all for myself. Free Money!”
John Smith says
+1 Spot on Phil
Scotsman48 says
This confused wee lassie is just yet another example of the shallow narcissistic Useful Idiot Generation of today who seem to be in support of a gang of thugs that raped and beheaded young girls exactly like her..
She is looking for free publicity for her bullshit paintings.
She uses a Jewish persons website to sell her paintings about free free nonsense…
How confused can she get?.
Thats not a trick question.
Mick says
Her name indicates that she is of Xian Yoruba slave-trader descent.
Other Nigerians to take the stage recently include Ngozi Fulani and Meghan Markle.
Time to compare her work to a Bacon and ask who is the artist. Frankly she is.
Brenrod says
its just a scam to get anti semites to buy her works, free advertising.
Brenrod says
Look how a nobody got all the suckers to talk about her,lol.
Its a scam for free advertising to get anti semites to buy her crap art.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Benrod.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Why would Zionists, or indeed any Jew, want to buy her artwork? It should try selling it to the Hamas sheikhs in Doha