Norfolk, United Kingdom – Matthew Collings, a British painter in his 70s, has produced more than 3,000 drawings over the past six years since leaving the fields of art commentary and criticism. Since October 2023, roughly one-third of his work has focused on Israel's war against Palestinians, which he calls 'genocide.'
The exhibition 'Drawings Against Genocide,' scheduled to be held at the Delta House gallery in London in May, was canceled after the organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) intervened, claiming the images were anti-Semitic. The exhibition featured 130 drawings depicting violence against Palestinians, with bloody portrayals of military, political, and business figures.
Collings asserts: 'The title makes clear what they are against – they are not against Jewish people. They are against genocide. Genocide is not carried out by Jewish people, but by Zionists and the state of Israel.'
UKLFI stated on its website that it sent a letter to Delta House and received a response canceling the exhibition. Kent Police, after an investigation, concluded: 'The artwork criticizes the state of Israel and its actions, but does not contain direct insults against Jewish people as a group. There is no indication of intent to incite racial or religious hatred.'
Collings says the accusations of anti-Semitism focused on the depiction of Jewish individuals and images allegedly portraying blood libel and child sacrifice. He denies this: 'Among the 130 drawings, 30 feature public figures who are Jewish, and half of those are heroes in my eyes.'
Notable works include an image of Moses teaching the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill,' a tea party scene with Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Karl Marx, and Norman Finkelstein. Another drawing depicts comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a frequent supporter of the Israeli military.
Anna Ost, senior legal officer at the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), remarks: 'The fact that Kent Police found no basis for prosecution shows this is an example of baseless legal threats aimed at suppressing pro-Palestine advocacy.' The ELSC noted UKLFI appears 128 times in its database of suppression of pro-Palestine expression, including 20 instances targeting arts and cultural organizations.
Despite the attacks, Collings remains determined about upcoming exhibitions across the UK and Australia. He says: 'Wherever there is a battle lost, there will be many places where you win.'
