Lifestyle

Art Under Occupation: Palestinian-Canadian artist Hanny Khoury talks art, identity, and belonging

Published

5 years ago

August 6, 2021

Palestinian-Canadian artist Hanny Khoury has spent years thoughtfully exploring his identity, trying to establish his understanding of what it means to be Palestinian.Art has always been his lifeline, an outlet where he channels frustrations and emotions, seeking a means of representing his past in a way that empathizes with an international audience. From Palestine to Canada, his journey has been difficult and encouraging, a true redemption arc that’s far from over.

Khoury grew up in a small village in historical Palestine-one of six children-under the Israeli occupation. As far back as he can remember, his identity, and the identities of his family and neighbors, were conflated with the information being spread by the occupation. “You are a Palestinian, a minority living under occupation. The environment is weird, nothing is clear.You can’t identify yourself and you don’t grow up with a clear identity that’s solid,” says Khoury.“From school to the media, the occupation is basically programming your brain, to make you forget your identity.”

Art was the one thing that could ground Khoury to something tangible. It was a means of coping with the instability of his daily life and allowed him to express his confusion. As he describes, it was a means of creating an entirely new world: “It’s like I was creating my own environment, my own life, the way I wanted it to be. With time, art became a healing process for me. It became the one thing through which I rebuild the relationship with everything around me and make peace with it. Heal it. That’s how art spoke to me. Art became like food for me, or water.”Even when his parents struggled to afford necessities, his mother would use soil and flowers to make natural pigments he could paint with. Walls, doors, broken pieces of wood-anything could serve as a canvas in Khoury’s eyes.

Eventually, after years of tension, both internally and with his environment, he made his way to Canada. This fresh start opened his mind, and he finally found the space and time to focus on his practice. It was during this period that he began to consider the parameters of being a Palestinian artist in a contemporary context. As a child, Khoury’s sources of artistic inspiration were limited to what was acceptable under the occupation. Names from Western art history, like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, were tolerable, but examples of Palestinian art were scarce. “Back then, I didn’t have anything that made me a Palestinian artist. I got this sense of belonging later in life, through my own research. I developedan awareness about our existence as Palestinians and then my art started to belong to the history and the story of Palestine. Before that, I didn’t have the opportunity to learn that information,” says Khoury.

Through his studies and careful research, Khoury began to form his own idea about the critical difference between being a Palestinian artist and producing Palestine art. “I think the Palestinian story of identity loss, it had its own time,” he explains.“Silman Mansour, Nabil Anani, Ismail Shammout-those artists had to do it because they had to construct their identity and the identity of the Palestinian people. For us, as the young generation in or from Palestine, we must do something different. We have to work with an international language, while still belonging to the Palestinian identity.” Khoury’s search for identity is also a search for expression, finding a way to leverage Palestinian form to resonate on an international, even universal, level.

Currently represented by Mark Hachem Gallery, Khoury’s work is set to make an impression on audiences around the world. He has already made great strides with his ability to translate his own experiences into a visual, emotionallanguage that anyone can connect with. “What I have suffered in my life, the experiences, the journey I had in Palestine-this is what developed my international language of art. This is where it came from. The figures, the colors, the balance. Everything that makes up my work is Palestinian, but the figures themselves aren’t necessarily Palestinian,” he explains. “Art is translating the time period that we live in, visually.The modern world of art is not translating specific moments, it’s translating specific emotions. We talk about our conflicts, our difficulties, our pain, the system. That’s what we talk about as artists. So, when we look at art, it should deliver emotion. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with belonging to the physical world. It can be connected to the emotional world, or faith.” Confident and passionate, Khoury is forging ahead with a new vision of what Palestinian art could be, offering the next generation of young artists what he was denied growing up: an inspirational figure.

Lifestyle

The Breakroom Reset: Small Changes That Improve the Workday

Published

1 day ago

February 11, 2026

Michelle Langton

The office breakroom is a space that’s often neglected and can sometimes feel more like an afterthought than a key feature of the workplace. This is unfortunate, especially since employees typically visit the breakroom to rest and recuperate before finishing their shift. Considering its intended function, the breakroom should be viewed as one of the most important spaces in the entire office.

Having a welcoming and rejuvenating breakroom can promote social interaction, enhance workplace culture, and reduce stress. Employees who feel restored after visiting the breakroom are more likely to feel happy at work and be more productive the rest of the day. If your workplace breakroom leaves a lot to be desired, here are some small changes you can make to totally reset it.

Small Breakroom Changes That Improve the Workday

Unless your breakroom is in shambles and needs major reconstruction, you don’t have to spend a fortune on it to make it more inviting. In many cases, small and simple changes can make a big impact on the overall vibe of any space.

Whether you’re working with a limited budget or limited space, there are still plenty of things you can do to reset your boring breakroom. Here are some small breakroom changes that can improve the workday and give you maximum bang for your buck.

Convenient Hydration Options

Employees need to stay hydrated to keep their health and energy levels high. Unfortunately, many employees are chronically dehydrated because they don’t have access to tasty beverages at work. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to install a soda machine in the breakroom. Giving workers unlimited access to sugary drinks could backfire in the long run by contributing to illnesses and increased sick days.

Instead of offering sugary beverages (that can actually contribute to dehydration in the long run), make it easier for your employees to stay hydrated with pure water. Providing a filtered office drinking water system is one of the best ways to encourage optimal hydration. Most employees will appreciate the clean, tasty alternative to standard office tap water.

Comfy Seating

When was the last time you took a look at the seating arrangements in your breakroom? If it’s been a while, take a walk over there and give it a good look. Is there sufficient space for multiple employees to sit at the same time? Are the seats comfortable and rearrangeable so employees can interact with others or achieve greater privacy as desired? If not, you might benefit from a breakroom seating reset.

Seating arrangements in breakrooms should be both comfortable and flexible. You might want to bring in some modular furniture because it’s easy to move and rearrange as needed. For maximum versatility, seating arrangements should include a mix of traditional breakroom chairs and tables, lounge chairs, and even bean bags. Making the space as open as possible will also help it look more roomy and inviting.

Nutritious Snack Options

Most employers don’t provide full meals for their employees. It’s perfectly reasonable to expect workers to make their own lunch or dinner arrangements. However, if you want to support your employees’ energy levels, keep healthy snacks in your breakroom. Nutritious snacks can enhance employee performance throughout the day, so workers find it easier to get more done.

Instead of investing in chips, candy bars, and other sugary sweets, opt for snack options that won’t cause sugar spikes and inevitable crashes. Some great options include trail mixes, protein bars, fresh fruit, popcorn, and veggie trays. Instant oatmeal cups can also be a convenient source of energy for those who don’t have time to grab breakfast before heading to work. You might want to send out an employee survey to see what types of healthy snacks your workers prefer.

Optimal Lighting

Did you know that poor lighting can negatively impact your employees’ psychological and emotional well-being? Improving workplace lighting (including in the breakroom) can make a huge difference in worker morale and energy levels. Warm white light may be a great choice for the breakroom because it creates a soothing, calm atmosphere. Cool white light might be a better fit for conference rooms and cubicle areas because it enhances focus and energy.

Of course, natural light is arguably the best option for the office whenever it’s available. If your breakroom has windows, try to keep the shades open during working hours. That way, employees can experience the mood- and health-boosting benefits of natural light exposure.

Entertainment Options

Some office managers and CEOs mistakenly think that a breakroom should be boring to serve its purpose well. However, the terms “boring” and “relaxing” are not synonymous. Employees may find a boring breakroom to be surprisingly non-restorative. On the flip side, a room equipped for entertainment can be very relaxing and rejuvenating.

To make your breakroom a more enjoyable place to spend time, you might want to install a corner television. That way, workers can watch their favorite sitcom while they relax. You might also keep a few card or board games stocked in a cupboard for employees who prefer to interact in fun ways during their lunch breaks.

Reset Your Breakroom Today

Your employee breakroom can reveal a lot about your overall workplace environment. If it’s not lit well, or if it’s boring and unwelcoming, workers are more likely to feel underappreciated and discontented. The good news is that you don’t have to sink a lot of money or effort into resetting your breakroom and getting a fresh start. Use these simple tips to revamp your breakroom and make it a place where workers can go to feel truly cared for and relaxed.