When stepping inside the Damascus studio of Syrian painter Shaza Midani, a direct confrontation takes place with distorted, emotionally charged faces painted on large canvases. These somber expressions, bearing the weight of pain, shock and loss, have been produced in the most violent of times, when Syria was going through a war that lasted for more than a decade. Unlike many Syrian artists who decided to move abroad for safety reasons during the conflict, Midani, who was born in the early 1990s, stayed behind, carrying on with her life as an artist, a mother and a witness to the violence that tore the country apart. She confided to AD that making art during the war wasn’t a luxury, but a necessity and a responsibility.
At the beginning of the conflict, which began in 2011 with anti-government protests, Midani’s paintings maintained a sense of colour and optimism, but as the conflict continued, her paintings became darker and harsher.
“From the onset of the conflict to its end, I witnessed the war and was deeply affected by it,” she says. “It invaded my inner self and overwhelmed my emotions; all of this was reflected in my paintings. My colours grew harsher, leaning heavily toward black and red – the colours of blood and darkness. I sought only to paint people’s emotions and the impact this reality had on me. I wanted to be honest in my art, without altering or embellishing reality. I paint what I see and feel.”