Syrian children’s artworks on show in Exeter
On Saturday October 31st, while some people in Exeter put on witches’ outfits and carry pumpkins, others will be empathising with the very real horror experienced by young people in Syria.
For one day only, the Art Gallery at 89 South Street will be exhibiting prints of drawings by young Syrian refugees.
The exhibition, entitled ‘From Syria with Love’ has been organised by Baraa Ehsaan Kouja, a Syrian student at the University of Exeter. There will bearound 25 prints of drawings and paintings made by Syrian refugee children aged 12-18 currently living in Al-Abrar refugee camp in Lebanon. Some of the works reflect the trauma that the young people have experienced, while others are more hopeful and optimistic.
“There is now a lost generation of Syrian children - children who are losing their education, who have been forced to thinkabout war and destruction rather than peace and love” Baraa said.
“These paintings show something of the awful reality that Syrians have endured, but also their dreams. I have lived in Exeter for a year, and have met many wonderful people working for the relief of refugees, both at the university and in the town:this exhibition complements that work by showing the real experiences of real refugees”.
Alongside each picture, as well as the title and the name of the artist, there will be a photo of the tent they are currently living in, and a brief statement of that child’s dream.
Some of the pictures have featured in an exhibition in the camp in Lebanon. One of the artists is a thirteen-year old girl called Doha, who fled her home in Homs after prolonged fighting between the Syrian government, rebels and ISIS. She now lives in the Al-Abrar camp with her family, where shestudies hard, while her sister works in a food canning factory to support the family. During her time in Homs, she witnessed massacres, a theme reflected in her artwork.
The exhibition will be open from 12 noon till 9pm on Saturday 31st October.
Light refreshments will be available
Gallery
