Syrian artists have grabbed their paintings and drawing kits and settled here and there around the world. But they have found in Lebanon, which geographically and culturally is close to them, a safe haven and an ideal platform to showcase their works.
The war having dealt a heavy blow to all Syrians, including artists, Beirut’s dynamic art scene has given Syrian artists more weight and provided them with an opportunity to access vaster spaces outside the borders of their own war-torn country.
Indeed Lebanon has witnessed an energetic Syrian plastic arts movement since the onset of unrest in Syria in 2011 as a result of artists fleeing Aleppo and Damascus to Beirut and the absence of an art movement in Syria. Some spaces in Beirut and two Syrian spaces active therein have embraced the activities of Syrian artists in the Lebanese capital.
Lebanese interest in Syrian artists
In fact, Beirut has always been an important stop for Syrian artists, but this interest has grown since the onset of unrest. While Ayyam Gallery, whose activities are currently limited to its branches in Beirut and Dubai after closing down its space in the «Umayyad capital,» is the center of attraction for many Syrian artists, its director in Beirut Rania Mounzer notes, «Lebanese spaces raced to attract Syrian artists at the beginning of the crisis whereas now interest has relatively waned.»
The Iraqi artist Leila Kubba who settled in Lebanon in 2006 and owns the Art Space Gallery in Beirut says that there is much focus in the Lebanese capital today on Syrian artists. «Daily I get visits at the gallery from Syrian artists fleeing Syria to Lebanon and the same thing can be said of Iraqi artists who are searching for a platform to show their work,» says Kubba.
Mark Hachem of Mark Hachem Gallery that started to show interest in Syrian artists in 2004, notes that works by Syrian artists «are attracting the interest of big art collectors.»
The 32-year-old artist Shadi Abosada brought along a collection of his paintings from As-Suwayda and landed in Beirut in 2011. While in Lebanon, this Department of Painting and Drawing graduate (University of Damascus) has taken part in group exhibitions and two solo exhibitions in the Lebanese capital. «Lebanon is the closest to the Syrian atmosphere linguistically and geographically, with its nature, mountains, valleys. This atmosphere suits me more than any other,» he said.
The 33-year-old artist Tarek Butayhi moved to Beirut in 2012 «because of the situation.» Butayhi was exhibited in several group exhibitions and two solo exhibitions in the Lebanese capital.
A platform for beginnings
Butayhi notes, «War is a catalyst for talent. Some artists were unknown in Syria and have launched their work outside the country.»
Mounzer points out that among the artists who had moved to Beirut, some have since traveled to Dubai, Germany or the Netherlands. Some Syrian artists represented by Ayyam Gallery who had come to Lebanon have left, such as Nihad Al Turk, who left to London with the support of the United Nations, and Oussama Diab, who settled in the Netherlands a few months ago. Others have left to the Gulf countries and Europe while a number of artists, such as Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik and Kais Salman, have remained in Beirut.
Syrian artists find a space for expression and a platform to launch their work in the Lebanese capital that is seething culturally and artistically and swarming with galleries and artistic and cultural activities. «Here galleries are more interested in artists,» says Abosada, «In Syria, the number of spaces is very limited and they only show certain people. There is more interest here.»
Butayhi confirms saying, «There are very few galleries in Syria and the artist faces difficulties to show his work. Getting your name out takes more time than it does in Beirut. Personally I receive encouragement from gallery administrations here, in Kuwait and in Dubai.»
War in paintings
The political situation in Syria, the state of social displacement and the psychological frustration caused by the crisis is reflected in the works of young and veteran artists.
Currently the Syrian plastic arts movement is seeing maturity and a versatility of schools, techniques and media, a fact that has helped it consolidate its singular character according to experts.
Mark Hachem considers that the war in Syria «highlighted its artists power of expression in a simple way and a beautiful language» and he remarks that their paintings depict «suffering, frustration and sorrow.» Hachem views this as «an Arab artistic rebirth to which Syrian artists are making a significant contribution.»
There are minute differences that can be observed in the works of one artist before and during the Syrian crisis.
Abosada says, «The artist cannot lie. He has to be honest in his paintings.» He adds, «Since my graduation in 2008, I have been working on shadows. When I started the shadows were gray and now they are white and the people are black.» He describes his paintings by saying, «They show joy and sorrow and depict the daily scenes we see on the street.»
Since his graduation in 2005, Tarek Butayhi has been working on the theme of women, but most of what he paints now revolves around the war. He considers Beirut to be a fertile ground for his work as it has «a great deal of movement and openness».
The book titled «Syria’s Apex Generation» published by the Ayyam Gallery and written by the gallery’s artistic director Maymanah Farhat includes a comparative account of the work of five Syrian artists before and during the war. These artists are Nihad Al Turk, Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik, Othman Moussa, Mohannad Orabi and Kais Salman. In addition, Farhat discusses the history of plastic arts in Syria starting from the Ottoman era and all the way to the French mandate, the founding of the Department of Painting and Drawing at the University of Damascus in the 1960s and the present day.
In this regard, Mounzer says, «For instance, Nihad Al Turk used dark colors in the past during his stay in Syria and the feeling in his paintings has now become more colorful since he moved to Beirut.» She adds, «The first year was tough for Syrian artists, so it influenced their work. Some excelled while others felt lost and found themselves in a dead end and could not take one step further, requiring more time to adapt and come up with a new idea or a new exhibition. Each artist has his own way of dealing with the situation.»
According to Mounzer, each painter has his own story and experience. The young artist Abdul Karim Majdal Al-Beik created a large painting titled «Syria in Fires» with symbols are knives; in creating it he used five meter wide soldier tents.
Abosada believes that Syrians and Lebanese share certain things, and says, «We practically live in the same atmosphere, but the Lebanese are more open to the West whereas we are perhaps more inclined to our Eastern culture.»
Nevertheless, despite the importance of the experience they are going through today, Syrian artists are eager to return to their homeland once it regains its stability. «Syria is my country and I can’t give up on it,» says Abosada, while Butayhi says, «I will definitely go back to my country and Beirut would be my second place of residence; it is my second Damascus. We will leave Beirut but we will miss it.»