Hamsa

Size: 30,3 x 22,6 cm

Materials: Watercolour on watercolour paper

The eighteenth symbol is a version of the Hamsa. It’s a palm-shaped amulet used by Muslims and Jews throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It shows the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many cultures and is believed to work as a defence against the evil eye but also represents blessings, power, and strength. It’s seen as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. It’s believed to have originated in Punic Carthage, modern-day Tunisia, and was associated with the Goddess Tanit. As Westerners might use the phrase “knock on wood” or “touch wood”, a common expression in Israel is “Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu”, to spit out bad luck. The background texture was created by blending, blotting and splattering colours.