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Home > Lama – Artist, Teacher, Mother

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Syrian artist ‘Lama’ and her family are internally displaced people within, what was until recently, a war-torn country. When an earthquake destroyed their house, they were homeless and destitute. Their children cried at night and longed for peace and a safe home. The family managed to buy a tent to live in, thanks to the personal support that they received from Anna Lubelska (Founder of this Peace Building charity). More recently they moved to a new area to escape the bombing. Now they have a small home that they open up to the community to help others. Lama is a teacher, with a degree in Education and an incredible talent for artistic works. In her drawings, she draws attention to the suffering of innocent people, especially children and women and powerfully expresses the destruction of the hopes and dreams of children and young people for a better future. She explains : ‘I seek to show the painful destruction of everything that was beautiful and wonderful and the desperate need for peace in my country.’ For permission to use any of her images please contact: anna@thepeacebuilding.org.uk

 

Lama - A Cry for Peace

'A Cry for Peace' This drawing reflects the pain and suffering experienced by civilians during the many years of war in Syria. It carries powerful a humanitarian message. Every scene in the picture (destruction - women - children) is a collective call to end violence and establish peace. The image belongs to the expressive art genre, that documents human tragedies and armed conflicts. In the centre of the picture, we see an elderly woman wearing a headscarf and looking sad, symbolising the Syrian mother or the wounded homeland. In the background, there are scenes of destruction and bombing, and smoke rising from buildings. On the sides we see children and women in a state of panic, with images of people under the rubble and rescue personnel (such as the White Helmets). The wall on the left has the word "Syria" written on it. A child appears on the right side, with a sad look, reflecting the impact of war on new generations.

Lama - The Embrace of Peace in the Heart of War

'The Embrace of Peace in the Heart of War' This poignant, expressionist-style image captures a powerful human scene amidst the backdrop of war and destruction. Amidst the rubble and flames of explosions, we see a woman cradling three children, covering their eyes and trying to shield them with her body from the horrors of the bombing. Behind them, a warplane soars in the sky, symbolizing the violence threatening their lives. The woman in this scene symbolizes peace, tenderness, and silent resistance. She is the last refuge for children, the last barrier against the cruelty of war. Despite the fear and destruction, the mother's embrace reflects an innate desire for peace and a determination to protect childhood and hope amidst the devastation.

Lama - Innocence Trembling Under the Sky

'Innocence Trembling Under the Sky' This drawing depicts a frightened little girl trembling and biting her fingers in a moment of extreme terror, as tears stream down her cheeks. Above her three warplanes hover as if raining fear instead of rain. The three planes are not just tools of war, but symbols of the constant threat that strangles the lives of children in conflict zones. The little girl represents threatened innocence, a childhood that has become a victim of adult conflict. Her wide, tear-filled eyes reveal innocent terror—the kind of fear no child should ever experience. Her simple clothing and the red background reinforces the sense of danger, oppression, and vulnerability.

Lama - Homeland Pain

'Homeland Pain' This drawing is made in a profound expressionist style and carries a powerful human message, depicting the effects of war and destruction on people and space simultaneously. This image tells the story of a people torn apart by war; women and children who have lost their safety, youth lost amidst the rubble, and walls bearing witness to memories that no longer exist. It is an artistic cry against injustice and a call for peace. The beautiful face of the girl on the left is riddled with cracks and scars, symbolising the inner pain and psychological wounds left by war - as if she were the ground cracked by drought or explosions. In the middle there's a mother cradling her children in fear and pain on a bridge. Behind them, a destroyed city and cracked walls reflect the reality of displacement and devastation experienced by many families in conflict zones. The isolated person at the bottom with his head covered, sitting alone, looking sad and broken symbolises lost or displaced youth who have lost hope. The destroyed buildings and collapsed walls, embody the war and the devastation that has struck infrastructure and cultural landmarks.

Lama - Syria is bleeding

'Syria is bleeding' This drawing is a painful visual scream that encapsulates years of war and tragedy in Syria. Every angle tells a part of the story of a people who have experienced terror, destruction, and death, yet still dream of safety. The word ’Syria’ is written in blood. It summarises the entire scene in a single word drenched in blood and suffering. The picture screams: ‘Enough! We don't want more destruction. We want peace, we want life’. Warplanes in the sky bombing mercilessly, represent the ongoing violence and destruction falling from the sky like falling death, not discriminating between a child and a stone. The faces of the children in the middle are filled with sadness, fear, tears, and loss. Some are screaming, others covering their eyes, as if fleeing an unbearable scene. This isn't just a drawing, it's real pain! The woman in the foreground raises her hands in a blood-soaked prayer, her features expressing patience, humiliation and a constant prayer for mercy amidst the devastation – with blood flowing from her sleeves as if the homeland is bleeding from the hearts of mothers.

Lama - Features of a Refugee

'Features of a Refugee' This image tells the story of a refugee woman who tries to maintain a facade of strength in front of her children, even though she's engulfed in a storm of fear and exhaustion. The message is that true strength isn't always found in screaming... sometimes in silence, in a look, in the calm that conceals a thousand pains. It also reminds us that behind every refugee face lies a story of displacement, loss, and a dream of return. The drawing is in black and white, a choice that amplifies the sense of sadness and stillness, as if it were a moment when life had come to a standstill. On the face in the foreground there's a faint hint of a smile, but it's tinged with deep sadness, as if she's trying to create hope amidst the tragedy. The second face that is half-hidden behind her, is that of an older, wrinkled face, its features sad and staring into the distance. It symbolises experience, suffering and motherhood. In the background on the left we see refugee tents. On the right we see fleeing children, a war scene, airplanes, and people carrying their belongings... everything screams ’refugees and loss’.

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