“Samira and Her Children” (Madrid–Valencia, 2023). Collaboration with UNHCR.
To commemorate World Refugee Day and mark the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, the Spanish Committee of UNHCR invited María Bisbal, along with other artists, to reinterpret the iconic painting Guernica (1937) and pay tribute to the courage, resilience, and dignity of millions of refugees and forcibly displaced people.
The scene María Bisbal chose corresponds to the figure of a mother crying out to the sky as she holds her lifeless child in her arms. This depiction, which so powerfully evokes the immense pain of losing a child, is presented as a violent drama that deeply moves the viewer and makes them a witness to the moment. This maternal figure, which belongs to the collective subconscious, refers to an anonymous woman—defined not by her individuality, but by her condition.
Aparición de María Bisbal en el segundo 43.
And the inevitable question arises:
What would Picasso have painted if that mother and her child had managed to reach safety before the bombing?
To respond to this question, Samira and her two sons, Adbou and Tahim, posed for a family portrait. During the creation process, Samira shared her story—her escape from Syria, her years in a refugee camp, and, ultimately, her adaptation to a new country and the absence of her loved ones.
The emotions expressed during the painting process are what ultimately give authenticity to the portrait. The topography and drawing of their bodies tell the story of each individual.
The artwork was presented in Valencia at the Centro de Arte del Carmen on June 20, 2023, as part of a celebration held across several Spanish cities—Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Valencia, and Pamplona—highlighting art as a powerful vehicle for raising awareness, during the opening of the Spain with Refugees Forum.
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