To my relief...Syria's booming art scene

Just as I was about to end my blogging session of the day, I stumbled upon some inspiration that gave me hope after my disgruntled mood, as manifest in my last post. So maybe the art scene in the Arab World isn't so bleak after all. While consuming my daily news feed on BBC's website, I caught a glimpse of a refreshing article in the midst of the the dismal headlines that flood the BBC's Middle East page. Never would I have imagined to view an article, or rather a slide show, on the art scene in a country one hears so little about in Western media, i.e. Syria.

Syria is honestly one of the places I have been simply yearning to see. Of the two Arab countries that top my list of places to see, Syria and Morocco, the Eastern and Western endpoints of the Middle East. Despite hearing that Syria is much more conservative than Egypt, I know that I feel like Syrians are very intellectual and sophisticated after exchanging some conversations with the professors here. Moreover, unlike Egypt, I feel like Syria is a pearl that hasn't suffered the same negative repercussions of الانفتاح that Egypt has witnessed after the 1980s. To some extent, I consider Syria as an untouched pearl that has some of the age-old traditions of the Arab world. Anyways, that's just the impression I get from this exotic land of the far east of the Arab World.

Of all the Arab countries, it seems that Syria art scenes is booming beyond imagination despite the limitations on freedom of expression. Not surprisingly, the art scene is driven by Syria's bohemian subculture that congregates of landmark cafes in Damascus. I can almost picture them as shabbier versions of Naguib Mahfouz's Cafe in Khan El Khali, where I absolutely loved going especially for their delicious Omm Ali. What intrigues when reading about the clandestine Cafe meetings is that it is an expression of classical and modern Arabic art, be it poetry or music, whereby the Arab world's art renaissance will come about.

What is unfortunate though is that these artists are forced underground. I was especially endeared after viewing a slideshow of renown Syrian artist Hala Faisal, which is a mere specimen of the conditions that Arab artists have to endure. Its saddening to witness how dire the conditions under which these artists live in. It is almost a deja vu of tragic stories associated with some of history's prominent artists, such as Van Gogh and Matisse, whom we don't give recognition until after their deaths. I just wish that we would appreciate the talent that we have before its too late...

Click on the link to view more works of Hala Faisal's galleries.