Newcastle-based artist Paul Piercy’s exhibition, showcasing human rights defenders from all across the world, will open on the 26 February at the Newcastle City Library. One of the voices highlighted will be that of Lujain al-Halthoul, Saudi women’s rights activist who has been subjected to imprisonment and torture for her resistance against oppression. Piercy’s exhibition spreads the word and the significance of these humanitarians.
The exhibition
Imagine if all the champions of human rights, who dictators and tyrants all over the world have tried to silence, could have a voice here in the Northeast. Well, now they do. 26 February sees the launch of an important new art exhibition at the City Library in Newcastle.
The artwork is by renowned Newcastle-based artist Paul Piercy and comprises a selection of large paintings from his thought-provoking Voices for Truth collection. The artwork provides an excellent learning opportunity, raising much needed awareness about human rights and the abuses of such rights across the world.
The exhibits celebrate and remember persecuted human rights defenders from around the world. These include: Liu Xiabo from China, Loujain al-Halthoul (Saudi Arabia), Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza (Rwanda). Mahirnour el-Masry (Egypt), Daphne Caruana Galizia (Malta) Lapiro de Mganba (Cameroon), Ioribert Chebeya Bahizire (DRC Congo) and Ali Abdulemam (Bahrain).
The exhibition is open to viewing by the public during the library’s opening hours from 26 February to 2 April 2026. During the course of this exhibition, Ethics Press International will publish a book about the paintings by Paul Piercy and Richard Kotter entitled Remembering and Celebrating Twenty Human Rights Champions from Around the World: Impact, Stories, Artwork.
Loujain al-Halthoul
Given the close links between Newcastle and Saudi Arabia, the painting of Loujain al-Halthoul will be of particular interest in the exhibition. Al-Halthoul was born on 31 July 1989 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and at the age of 5, Loujain’s family moved to France for 5 years, after which they returned to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Halthoul went on to study at Dar Al-Ulum from where she successfully graduated. Following that, al-Halthoul went to live in Canada to “pursue her Bachelors in French Literature”. Al-Halthoul continued her studies and in 2019, the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, awarded her an Honorary Doctorate.
Al-Halthoul became an activist through social media during her studies in Canada. She became one of the leaders in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement and played major roles in the movements “Together We Stand to End Male Guardianship of Women” and “Women Demand the Overthrow of Guardianship”, working to help share information and raise awareness online.
Driving Campaign, imprisonment and torture
Famously, al-Halthoul also conducted a driving campaign where she and other advocates took pictures of themselves driving in the streets of Saudi Arabia in defiance of the driving ban. As part of a working group, she established a shelter for women escaping domestic violence that not only provided a place to go, but helped them integrate back into society.
For her efforts, al-Halthoul has been arrested three times, and has been tortured whilst imprisoned. Al-Halthoul was studying and working in the United Arab Emirates in March 2018, and while out driving on 13 March 2018 she was kidnapped, and flown back to Saudi Arabia in a private jet. It is also noted that, “Saudi security forces briefly placed her under arrest. They released her on 15 March 2018 and placed her on a travel ban. They arrested Loujain again on 15 May 2018 and imprisoned her.” Al-Halthoul was released on 10 February 2021.
Al-Halthoul has been imprisoned for her activism, and while she has been released, she is having to endure a travel ban, preventing her from travelling outside Saudi Arabia. This has been the subject of an action by Amnesty International.
An important exhibition
Piercy is an excellent artist and it is great to see such moving and important artwork on display in Newcastle. I hope that many people visit the exhibition and learn more about Paul’s work and the courage and integrity of his subjects.
Piercy has steadfastly documented human rights champions for many years now and has held other exhibitions at places such as the Wallsend Memorial Hall and the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. Through his excellent artwork he has become an important voice for the voiceless, for those imprisoned throughout the world, simply for peacefully expressing their beliefs, be it in China or Rwanda, Egypt or Saudi Arabia.
Those who have seen Paul Piercy’s art have been able to reflect upon the courage of those painted and the many people who languish in prisons and camps today, who stand behind the subjects of the paintings.
This is an important exhibition and well worth seeing and reflecting upon.
