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Belal Khaled

Belal Khaled2 posts
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1 Apr, 2015

Palestinian door sold for $175

Sale/Purchase2 Comments

Rabea Darduna, a father of six from northern Gaza, is upset when he finds out that the Greek goddess Niobe painting he sold to Khaled for 700 shekels ($175) is worth much more. He says he was approached by a group of men:

They said they wanted to put it in a museum in Gaza where everyone could see it. One man told me: ‘We’re from the group that did it.’ They made me sign a paper. It said I agreed on 700 shekels. They pressured me and I accepted because I need the money…I had no idea what the value of the painting was or who this Banksy is…Really we feel depressed and very upset. This door is rightfully ours. They cheated us. It’s a matter of fraud. And we’re asking for the door to be returned.

Khaled says he has followed Banksy’s work for years, will not give it back to Darduna, and has no plans to sell it at present:

I bought the door to preserve the painting and protect it from being removed, spoiled or destroyed.

Palestinian 'tricked' into selling Banksy art for $175 - BBC News