This is evident in the works featured in the exhibition at the American University of Beirut, where the artworks ranged from digital pieces to drawings (including acrylic on canvas, and ink and charcoal on paper). Their themes spanned humanitarian, revolutionary, and existential subjects. These themes were deepened by his unique style, which reveals itself as emerging from a place that embodies these meanings in its resistance to occupation.

For instance, in the painting titled “Peace,” it appears as though peace is emerging from a bomb, with the artist writing below it:

"Not wings, nor a dove — is it a bundle of a refugee that doesn’t resemble a tent?

It’s not an orange, nor a heart — is it a bomb?"

This is how Ahmad asks — not to confuse us — but to make our questions a prelude to everything we call “the future,” or a false “peace” in this world.

Among other events building bridges of solidarity and life with Gaza, another exhibition is taking place in parallel with a performance by Palestinian comedian Amer Zahr at Metro Al Madina. There, six of Muhanna’s paintings were displayed on the theater stage, along with posters of his works. These were part of a public auction aimed at encouraging support for the artist.

This important initiative by the Ard Center and the Abu Sitta Gilbert Award serves two purposes: first, to allow the world to glimpse the hope embodied in Palestinian art rising from Gaza’s catastrophic reality and to engage with the true stories blended with the artists’ colors — a form of cultural resistance against genocide. Second, to provide financial support so that artists can continue their journey with strength and momentum.

The audience responded by purchasing the artworks displayed on the university theater stage, as well as those printed as posters or on plates, showing clear interest in the artist’s work. It is also worth mentioning that the artist’s complete destroyed works are available on the Artzonepalestine platform, which seeks to collaborate with various partners — including the award team and Ard Center — to organize exhibitions of artworks destroyed in the war, with the goal of supporting and standing by their creators.

In the works created during the war, Muhanna used ink on pages torn from books, producing paintings with varied titles and backgrounds. These included pages from history books, Arabic language textbooks, and poetry collections — as if his message to us now is:

“What will remain of words and books if you do nothing?”