A mural of Dan Reynolds painted in Gaza — The National
In Gaza City, Palestine, artists created a mural depicting Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds and a Palestinian flag on the wall of a building damaged by Israeli attacks. The work was dedicated to the musician as a gesture of gratitude for his solidarity with Palestinians, The National reports.
Incident at a concert in Milan
The mural was inspired by an incident during an Imagine Dragons concert in Milan on May 27 last year. At the end of the performance, Reynolds was handed a Palestinian flag: the singer raised it above his head, draped it over his shoulders and kissed it. Video of the moment was widely shared online.
One of the work's authors was 26-year-old Palestinian artist Anne Ridwan. According to her, after losing her tools and materials during the war, she began using buildings damaged by Israeli attacks as canvases. The artist said it is difficult for the creators to find paint, brushes and safe places to work because of the threat of strikes.
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Other works by the artist
Earlier this month, Ridwan also painted a mural of rapper Macklemore. It was created after the musician was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour over calls for a “free Palestine.”
Imagine Dragons are set to perform on December 5 at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi at a post-Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concert. It will be the band's first performance in the UAE since its sold-out concert at Etihad Arena in 2023. In August 2023, the band also performed for approximately 60,000 spectators at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, despite calls from pro-Palestinian activists to cancel the concert. In 2024, Reynolds told Rolling Stone that the band members do not believe audiences should be deprived of the opportunity to see them because of their government's actions.
