Fingerprints of the Syrian war: How conflict affected Syrian art

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Syrian artist Ahmad Elias at the opening of his art gallery in Riyadh this month. (Supplied)
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Updated 27 January 2025
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Fingerprints of the Syrian war: How conflict affected Syrian art

Fingerprints of the Syrian war: How conflict affected Syrian art
  • Suffering ‘often becomes a powerful catalyst for impactful creative expression in era of rebuilding,’ Syrian artist Ahmad Elias says

RIYADH: Syria, where graffiti on one of Daraa’s walls was enough reason for a 14-year civil war to break out, causing distress and misery to the people in the country and outside its borders.

The civil war shattered all parts of Syria, once a thriving society with fascinating nature and rich history, and forced millions of people to flee the country for safer, more stable societies, carrying with their documents their memories of a place they once called home.

Syrian art was one form of expression for the people since the beginning of the war and continued to be after. Whether art is written or drawn, it carries a message, an emotion, or a story.

Ahmad Elias, a Syrian artist with more than 38 years’ experience in fine arts, has lived to witness the difference before, during, and after the war.

“It is natural for the average human being to be affected by the events around him, and it is more appropriate for the visual artist to be one of those most affected by his surroundings, as he is a being who carries delicate feelings and emotions and deals with images, formation and color,” he said.

Elias was born in Dayr Atiyah, Syria in the 1950s and has several years of experience during which he displayed his art in 14 local and international galleries.

“I am from a generation of artists who were taught by pioneers of fine art in Syria in the last century, most of whom studied art in Italy and Egypt,” Elias said.

“One of the most important professors whose guidance influenced me was Professor Afif Al-Bahnasi, may God have mercy on him, who used to direct us to benefit from the Arab and Islamic heritage.”

The Syrian artist told Arab News how his style was also influenced by other artists, especially during his early years.

“In my long artistic experience, I was influenced by the great artist Mahmoud Hammad, may God have mercy on him, who was the dean of the faculty of fine arts at that time. Through numerous exhibitions and shows, I developed my experience and introduced techniques specific to my art and style,” he said.

Elias was fortunate not to be directly exposed to the disasters of war and the unfortunate events that occurred in it, yet the significance of unfolding events still left a footprint on his work.

“Although I was not directly and tangibly exposed to the disasters of war and the unfortunate events that occurred in it, it affected my artistic works in terms of color connotations and expressive symbols; despite my keenness to keep such pains away from the artistic aspect of my works, which are characterized by a special abstract language,” he told Arab News.

Furthermore, artists who lived through the war and witnessed its horrors but did not leave Syria as refugees expressed the painful scenes in their own style, Elias said.

Some artists depicted the destruction and human suffering in a realistic way, others expressed the tragedy evident on the faces, and others depicted the sadness and pain in the faces of the bereaved and the crying of women and children.

“Many artists depicted and documented in their artwork the mass displacement and asylum movement fleeing death and destruction,” he said.

“Among those who left abroad and saw the death boats, they had tragic artworks depicting the boats struggling with the waves of the sea, including the human souls of women, men, and children, and telling many tragic stories and tales about the survivors of those horrors that make the body shudder and shake every conscience.”

Describing the devastation of war, Elias said: “The events of the war and its human tragedies will remain in the conscience of the Syrians, and the tragedy of the Syrians who were wronged with all kinds of injustice, abuse, displacement and destruction will remain a stain of shame in the history of those who claim to be civilized, humane and defend human rights.”

On the other hand, Syrian art is ancient and has a distinguished history that was demonstrated by Syrian artists at the beginning of the 20th century.

Artists have documented in their artwork all the events their country has gone through, all the great and tragic forms.

From Elias’s perspective, the artist is by nature “a witness and documenter of his era,” similar to a poet or a writer, and all arts, in all their differences, meet in common and unified orientations and goals, whether visual, literary or auditory. Each artist, he said, expresses themselves in their own language.

“Syrian fine art, with its deep roots and solid foundations, remains resilient despite the years of war and turmoil the country and its people have endured. These hardships will likely serve as a source of inspiration and a drive for rebuilding and renewal. Artists, as always, will stand at the forefront, as suffering often becomes a powerful catalyst for impactful artistic and creative expression,” Elias said.

“With the fall of the former regime in Syria, now consigned to the pages of history, beloved Syria will reclaim its noble, radiant, and cultured status. The foundations of a modern Syria will be built by the dedicated hands of its honorable citizens, with the support of its Arab brothers, led by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its wise and visionary leadership.”


Party décor tips for your Eid Al-Fitr celebration

Party décor tips for your Eid Al-Fitr celebration
Updated 23 March 2025
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Party décor tips for your Eid Al-Fitr celebration

Party décor tips for your Eid Al-Fitr celebration

DUBAI: With Eid Al-Fitr on the horizon, you may be planning to host friends and family to mark the festivities.

Nahel Selo, creative director at Sedar Global, shares his décor tips.

Tip 1: Make a good first impression

Spruce up your entrance to set the mood. Start with a prop style chair or bench with festive cushions and add a console table with a metal tray loaded with dates. Adding a diffuser or incense burner and floor lanterns will create a festive atmosphere. 

Tip 2: Ramadan tents and majlis-style seating

You can craft a simple tepee in your garden using sheer or linen curtains or, if budget allows, add a pergola or awning installation. Create communal areas using low seating arrangements such as ottomans or poufs teamed with floor cushions laid over a rug.

Tip 3: Add Arabesque touches

Options include temporary décor such as Arabic calligraphy-inspired style brass accessories,  mirrored objects or even geometric print fabrics.

Mix up interiors with traditional flashes of gold or brass contrasted with trending palettes of turquoise, royal blues or dusky pinks. Selo commented: “Adding metallics, specifically gold and brass, is not only a nod to tradition but also essential to create a festive mood. For 2025 worn brass and golds give an earthy and contemporary finish.”

Tip 4: Creative tablescapes

Take your Eid Al-Fitr meal to the next level by sprucing up the dining table with creative tablescaping. From incorporating metallic, intricate arabesque or lunar pattern accents through cutlery, napkin rings and dinnerware sets, to jute placements, table runners, mini lanterns and dry or fresh florals, thoughtful accents can transform your table. 

“Atmospheric lighting is key,” Selo added. “Battery-operated fairy lights, tall lanterns and tea lights … are a cost-effective décor touch to set the mood.”

 


Lyna Khoudri spotted at TV series festival in Lille

Lyna Khoudri spotted at TV series festival in Lille
Updated 23 March 2025
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Lyna Khoudri spotted at TV series festival in Lille

Lyna Khoudri spotted at TV series festival in Lille

DUBAI: French Algerian actress Lyna Khoudri made an appearance at Series Mania 2025 this weekend in Lille, France.

Also known as the International TV Series Festival, Khoudri and her castmates were on hand to promote Apple TV+ show “Careme.”

“An ambitious, young chef uses his seductive charm to work as a spy so he can save his father — and make his name,” the official logline of the period drama reads. The series is set to land on Apple TV+ on April 30.

It is a biographical series about Antonin Careme, who rose from humble beginnings to become known as the world's first celebrity chef during the Napoleonic era. Careme is played by Cesar Award-winner Benjamin Voisin, who is joined by Cesar Award-winner Khoudri, César Award nominee Jérémie Renier (“My Way,” “Saint Laurent”),”) and Alice Da Luz (“Hanami,” “And the Party Goes On”).

The Cesar Awards are France’s reply to Hollywood’s Academy Awards.

“Careme” is directed by filmmaker Martin Bourboulon, who also directed Khoudri in Afghanistan evacuation drama “13 Days, 13 Nights,”

The drama, the full title of which is “In The Hell Of Kabul: 13 Days, 13 Nights,” stars Khoudri alongside Danish BAFTA-winning “Borgen” star Sidse Babett Knudsen, Roschdy Zem (“Chocolat,” “Oh Mercy!”), and theater actor Christophe Montenez.

Set against US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, as the Taliban marches on Kabul, the film recounts the true story of French Commander Mohamed Bida who oversaw security at the French embassy, which was the last Western mission to remain open.

The film marks a change for Bourboulon after period dramas “The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady,” “The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan” and “Eiffel.”

Khoudri, 32, first rose to prominence in her role as Nedjma in Mounia Meddour’s critically acclaimed drama “Papicha.” For her work in the film, she won the Orizzonti Award for best actress at the 74th Venice Film Festival, and she was nominated in the Cesar Awards’ most promising actress category.

Khoudri also starred in the 2019 mini-series “Les Sauvages” and in 2016’s “Blood on the Docks.”

Notably, she was cast in Wes Anderson’s 2021 comedy “The French Dispatch” alongside Timothee Chalamet, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Owen Wilson.

 


Actress Jameela Jamil joins Pixar’s ‘Elio’

Actress Jameela Jamil joins Pixar’s ‘Elio’
Updated 22 March 2025
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Actress Jameela Jamil joins Pixar’s ‘Elio’

Actress Jameela Jamil joins Pixar’s ‘Elio’

DUBAI: Actress and activist Jameela Jamil is set to lend her voice to the Pixar animated film, “Elio.”

Jamil will be voicing the character of Ambassador Questa.

The news broke when Jamil took to her Instagram story this week to share her enthusiasm about the project. Posting the official poster for the film, she captioned it: “It happening.” In a follow-up story, she pointed at the animated character and wrote: “It’s me.”

Instagram/ @JameelaJamil

Besides the poster, Pixar also released the trailer this week.

“Elio,” set to be released on June 20, follows an 11-year-old boy named Elio, who accidentally becomes the ambassador for Earth after being transported across the galaxy.

The movie also features the voices of Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Remy Edgerly as his alien best friend Glordon, Academy Award winner Zoe Saldana as Elio’s Aunt Olga, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, and Shirley Henderson as OOOOO.

Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, the film is produced by Mary Alice Drumm.

Instagram/ @JameelaJamil

Jamil is known for her breakthrough role as Tahani Al-Jamil on NBC’s “The Good Place” and her advocacy work around body positivity and social justice.

Jamil is also starring in “Hysterical” — a new feminist dramedy from Olivia Lee semi-inspired by controversial figure Andrew Tate.

The show stars Naomie Harris and Romesh Ranganathan. Harris plays Leonora, a therapist who spirals into a world of toxic masculinity after her daughter is assaulted.

She learns the boy responsible is a fan of Tommy T, an influencer known for spreading harmful advice among young men. During a weekly “rage release” session with friends, Leonora, fueled by anger and alcohol, convinces the group to act and bring him down.

The plot is inspired by events surrounding Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer with more than 10 million followers who once stated that women should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault.

“UMMMM A comedy series about female rage? Sign me up!” Jamil, who is British Pakistani, wrote on Instagram in October when the show was announced.

“Hysterical” is being produced by Ranganathan’s company, Ranga Bee Productions. Ranganathan and Lee executive produce the show alongside Michelle Farr and Benjamin Green. It has not yet been announced when it will be televised.


Saudi Arabia to debut at Triennale Milano’s International Exhibition with Al-Ahsa pavilion

Saudi Arabia to debut at Triennale Milano’s International Exhibition with Al-Ahsa pavilion
Updated 21 March 2025
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Saudi Arabia to debut at Triennale Milano’s International Exhibition with Al-Ahsa pavilion

Saudi Arabia to debut at Triennale Milano’s International Exhibition with Al-Ahsa pavilion

DAMMAM: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture has announced the Kingdom’s inaugural participation at the 24th International Exhibition at the Triennale Milano design museum in Italy later this year, with a pavilion dedicated to the agricultural oasis of Al-Ahsa.

Curated by Lulu Almana and Sara Al-Omran, with Alejandro Stein as creative director, the exhibition is hosted by the Architecture and Design Commission and will be titled “Maghras: A Farm for Experimentation.” It will run from May 13 - Nov. 9.

It will explore the intersection of farming traditions, ecological shifts and cultural memory within a rapidly transforming landscape. The exhibition draws from research, artistic interventions and community-driven programs cultivated at Maghras, a farm and interdisciplinary space in Al-Ahsa.

Al-Ahsa, located in the Eastern Province, has been historically defined by its abundant water sources. It has undergone significant environmental and social transformations, mirroring broader changes in agrarian communities worldwide. The area has been farmed since the third millennium BCE. 

The pavilion takes the form of a transplanted maghras — a traditional unit of land defined by four palm trees. Through videos, sound installations and participatory programs, the exhibition invites audiences to engage with Al-Ahsa’s evolving agricultural ecosystems.

In the lead-up to the exhibition, artists, architects, and researchers collaborated with Al-Ahsa’s farming communities, gathering firsthand insights into the region’s shifting landscape. This knowledge exchange was further explored through performances, film screenings and local workshops examining the deep connections between culture and agriculture.


Muhannad Shono: ‘This work is fragile. It is not here forever’ 

Muhannad Shono: ‘This work is fragile. It is not here forever’ 
Updated 22 March 2025
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Muhannad Shono: ‘This work is fragile. It is not here forever’ 

Muhannad Shono: ‘This work is fragile. It is not here forever’ 
  • The Saudi artist is the sole representative from the Middle East at this year’s Desert X in California

RIYADH: Saudi contemporary artist Muhannad Shono is the sole representative of the Middle East at this year’s Desert X — the site-specific international art exhibition in California’s Coachella Valley — which runs until May 11.  

Shono’s piece, entitled “What Remains,” consists of 60 long strips of locally-sourced synthetic fabric infused with native sand. 

“The fabric strips, orientated to align with the prevailing winds, follow the contours of the ground, fibrillating just above its surface,” a description of the work on the Desert X website reads. “As the wind direction shifts, the natural process of aeolian transportation that forms dunes is interrupted, causing the fabric to tangle and form chaotic bundles. In this way, the ground itself becomes mutable — a restlessly changing relic or memory.” 

Desert X 2025 installation view of Muhannad Shono, What Remains. (Photo by Lance Gerber, courtesy Desert X)

This isn’t the first time Shono has created a large-scale installation in the desert. At Desert X AlUla in 2020, he presented “The Lost Path,” composed of 65,000 black plastic tubes snaking through the Saudi desert — a work exploring themes of transformation, memory and impermanence. And while “What Remains” is an entirely separate piece of art, it also delves into those topics, as has much of Shono’s work over the past decade. 

“I’m first-generation Saudi,” Shono tells Arab News. “A year after I was born, I was given the nationality. For half of my life, I didn’t feel Saudi. I’d say Saudi was an authentic space that had specific motifs and cultural narratives that we were very disconnected from as a family. Why? Because we’re immigrants; my father is not Saudi, and my mom is not Saudi.  

“But now I think the narrative of what is ‘Saudi’ is changing,” he continues. “And it feels like it’s part of this correction.” 

Desert X 2025 installation view of Muhannad Shono, What Remains. (Photo by Lance Gerber, courtesy Desert X)

A feeling of not belonging was apparent in Shono’s early artistic endeavors. He loved comic books and wanted to create his own because he couldn’t find a true representation of himself in them. 

“Saudis expect you to produce a figure they can relate to — with Saudi features or skin color — but I didn’t think they could relate to me,” he says. “I was more referencing myself, and what I thought ‘home’ looked like, or the ‘hero’ looked like, so there was a disconnect there.” 

That disconnect continues to manifest in his work. “You can see it in Desert X and in a lot of my other projects tapping into materiality. I realized I couldn’t really fully connect with the materiality of the narrative of being Saudi. 

“An interesting psychological thing that I haven’t really come to grips with is that I’m more comfortable doing work in Saudi because I’m responding to this natural source material,” he continues. “I’m disrupting — I’m offering divergence, narratives that can spill out from that experience of the work. I’m invested in the narrative of what’s happening (in Saudi). I think it’s the closest I’ve felt to being ‘at home.’ Something that I was missing in the beginning was being connected to the narrative of the place, because if you engage with that narrative, you can call it home. 

Desert X 2025 installation view of Muhannad Shono, What Remains. (Photo by Lance Gerber, courtesy Desert X)

“When I go to California, I miss the landscape (of Saudi) that I’m contrasting. In California, it’s not juxtaposed against the experience of growing up. I’m still figuring out how to take these feelings and be able to show work overseas, because my backdrop is missing — the backdrop of Saudi.” 

His early interest in comic books, he says, was partly down to “being able to create the world, the space, the setting for the story.” That was also a reason he decided to study architecture at university.  

“I felt like it was creative problem solving,” he says. “A lot of my projects that I did in college were in ‘world making.’ My graduation project ended up being the creation of a whole city, and how it would grow on a random landscape. I got kind of caught up in the urban planning of it — the streets, and the rivers flowing through it. I never really got to the architectural part of designing a building.” 

But that willingness to explore ideas in ways others might not has made Shono one of the Kingdom’s most compelling contemporary artists. “I’ve created my own kind of material palette, or language, or library, that I use,” he says. 

In his current work, “The land is holding the narrative on this adventure within the seemingly barren landscape,” he explains. “These land fabrics become this idea of being able to roll up, carry and unroll ideas of belonging: What is home? How do we carry home?” 

Desert X AlUla 2020 installation view of Muhannad Shono, The Lost Path. (Photo by Lance Gerber, courtesy the artist, RCU, and Desert X)

Shono and the team who helped him install “What Remains” had to “constantly adapt expectations” based on understanding the land and the environmental conditions, he says. It took them around a month, working seven or eight hours a day, to put it in place — flattening, aligning, and flipping fabric under Shono’s direction. His vision was clear, but he also allowed instinct to guide him.  

“This work is fragile,” he says. “It’s an expression that is not here forever… that will change. And my ideas will change, the way I think about stories and concepts through my work. It’s important to change.” 

With “What Remains,” he is offering that same opportunity to viewers. He wonders: “What portals will you pass through, through this unrolling of the earth in front of you?” 

And change is a vital part of the work itself. “They’re always different,” Shono says of the fabric strips. “At some points, they’re opaque and earth-like — almost like a rock. But when the wind picks up, they become lightweight — like sails — and they animate and come to life. And when the light hits as they move through the sky, they reveal their translucency and there’s this projection of the trees and bushes and nature that they’re almost wrapped around or sailing past.” 

Although the “What Remains” seen by Desert X visitors on any particular day will not be the same “What Remains” seen by visitors on any other day, or even any other hour, one part of it, at least, is constant.  

“The work is a self-portrait,” Shono says. “Always.”