- Title: LEBANON-REFUGEES/ART Art by Syrian refugees reflects five years of war
- Date: 22nd June 2015
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF ART RESIDENCE ALEY, RAGHED MARDINI, SAYING: "This exhibition showcases the work of thirty artists, who all worked at the Art Residence Aley. The works - that vary from photographs, acrylic or oil on canvas, sculptures of iron or bronze, to sketches - they express the current situation and the tough times that young Syrians are now facing.''
- Embargoed: 7th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Lebanon
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3MKLKV0CDSA941MKCOIBMVNNR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The on-going crisis in Syria has brought the once-vibrant art scene in the country almost to a halt and sent hundreds of young Syrian artists to neighbouring Lebanon, where they are trying to find both security and a receptive audience.
Marking World Refugee Day, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR collaborated with Art Residence Aley (ARA) to organise a Syrian Art Exhibition in an initiative to help Syrian artists in Lebanon both psychologically and financially.
"This exhibition showcases the work of thirty artists, who all worked at the Art Residence Aley. The works - that vary from photographs, acrylic or oil on canvas, sculptures of iron or bronze, to sketches - they express the current situation and the tough times that young Syrians are now facing,'' the director of ARA, Raghed Mardini, told Reuters TV at the opening of the exhibition.
Art Residence Aley (ARA) offers residencies and commissions projects for young Syrian artists. In addition to providing accommodation and art supplies, ARA connects emerging Syrian artists to galleries, collectors and professional opportunities.
One of the Syrian artists participating in the exhibition with a painting called 'The Bathroom's Mirror' is Fadi Hamwi, who moved to Lebanon two years ago.
"I am speaking about the daily violence of a human that we should understand, in order to try and find a balance between the good inside us and what is happening at the same time," Hamwi said.
Hamwi, who is in his late twenties, graduated from Damascus university in 2009 and considers Lebanon the hope for his future artistic work.
While Hamwi's work reflects the direct impact of the Syrian civil war on the lives of people, another Syrian artist participating in the exhibition, Anas Homsy, said his work was affected by the war but does not speak about it.
"The paintings I work on are a mixture of the culture that I experienced throughout my life from when I was a child to when I reached school and university, in addition to the war that affected us as Syrian artists, each in a different way. There are no direct elements of war in my paintings because this is how I work, with something more related to imagination and emotion," Homsy said.
Co-owner of exhibition venue, Villa Paradiso in the Gemmayze area in Beirut, Remi Feghali said they did not hesitate to open the space for the show, which he described as 'very special'.
"There is pain behind these paintings as is clear if one observes each painting, but there is inspiration at the same time; and maybe there wouldn't be inspiration if not because of the pain. I hope all that will remain from the war is these artworks so we forget everything else, continue forward and end this crisis; just like a nightmare that passes," Feghali said.
Visitors to the exhibition appeared impressed by the standard of work.
"It is a beautiful exhibition that present Syrian artists to the world and tells their cause, their thoughts and works," said Lebanese architect Siba Nasreddine.
"I think the gallery is fantastic, it is a great opportunity to showcase the work of displaced Syrian artists, which is tremendous. The impact of the war has been tragic in every way, at least while you are here in Lebanon and until we are waiting for a political solution, I think it is a great opportunity for creative expression of those who would much rather, I am sure, be back home living in peace time, so I think it is a great opportunity for them," said Wanima Kunchi.
UNHCR figures for January 2015 estimate Lebanon will host over 1.4 million Syrian refugees and has the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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