Fanana Banana
Claiming a space in the arts...
Fanana (the arabic term for Female Artist) Banana is a Muslim women-owned establishment founded by two Palestinian American's, Amal Azzam (right) and Nayfa Naji (left). As artists themselves, Amal and Nayfa experienced a lack of relatability and acceptance in the arts, which led them to cultivate their own space in 2019 to support artists like themselves.
Fanana Banana understands the importance of representation and inclusivity for artists of color within the arts. It's primary goal is to cultivate an environment that celebrates and uplifts MENA artists, providing them with opportunities to showcase their talents and express their unique perspectives. By amplifying their voices, they aim to promote cultural understanding and bridge communities.
Since 2019, Fanana Banana has evolved from hosting art shows to featuring Ramadan Night markets, speaking at local Universities, creating multi creative events and connecting MENA Artists to paid opportunities.
The censored show, what happened & how you can help.
Since October 2023, the genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza strip has gravely affected people around the world. As the civilian death toll rose from 10,000 in November of 2023, to exceeding 20,000 in December of 2024. As we grieve this immense loss of life and do all that we can to raise our voice against the war crimes committed against the people of Palestine. Both Nayfa (my partner and co-founder of Fanana Banana) and I are born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. It's our home and our community. While we watch the atrocities unfold on the news, we found our strength as artists was in the ability to reflect the times we live in. We had been participating in an artist residency, with an expectation and responsibility to curate and showcase an end of residency exhibition. As we created work to reflect our grief and shock towards our people, just days before the agreed upon exhibition date, we received notice of cancellation.
To read what happened click on the link below.
Access our public statement here
To support our artistic freedom, please make a donation below.
