Othman Moussa
‘The Terror Group’
The Damascus-based Syrian artist is known for his realist still-life paintings. As the Syrian conflict began over a decade ago, its impact began to materialize in Moussa’s works, such as this one — “turning everyday objects into subjects of war,” the gallery’s website states. “Something as simple as food is now transformed into a weapon, reflecting the presence of violence in the most minor details of life.”
Yasmine Al-Awa
‘Dirty Laundry’
The UAE-based Syrian artist’s most recent body of work, including this piece, created this year, “shifts focus from the human figure to the realm of inanimate objects and interiors, inspired by memories from her early life in Syria and recent visits to her homeland,” the gallery says. “Drawing on the notion of fragmented memory, Al Awa brings everyday objects into the forefront of her work, transforming them into reflections of identity and longing.”
Tammam Azzam
‘Bon Voyage: New York’
Azzam’s “Bon Voyage” series is partly inspired by Pixar’s 2009 film “Up,” in which a widower ties balloons to his home and floats away. Instead of a quintessential US suburban home, Azzam uses a devastated Syrian apartment block, set against famous landmarks. “This image is about the evil and imbalance in our world,” Azzam told Arab News in 2021. “Every life is important, whether American or Syrian, and it’s right that 9/11 is commemorated, but who is commemorating the Syrian casualties?”
