I still remember—way back in the mists of the distant past—that warm feeling when I first picked up a camera. As though I was experiencing a prophecy that one day I would use this instrument until I wore it away to nothing. Back then I carried it like a sceptre; today I bear the camera like a shield. Today, I remember the first time I literally did this—bore it like a shield. I’ve forgotten many dates and events, but that day—June 26, 2012—stays engraved in my memory. At the end of a long and tiring day my feet led me,... more

The revolutionary movement of Syria not only asked for a political change when it took the streets in 2011, but also to reaffirm the existence of individuality in society. Our personal individuality was brutally oppressed by the dictatorial one-party rule and the purely state-controlled organizations and trade unions, which attempted to make people ideologically uniform from the youngest age through the youth-based Baathist organizations. With the recapturing of our personal identity, we Syrians regained a public space to express our thoughts and ideas through creativity and arts. But at the same time, we are confronted with new questions. Have we... more