ROCHELLE JUNIOR

Sweida – In Sweida city, in the mountain guesthouses that have always symbolized honor and hospitality, an art exhibition and music performance were held at one of the very sites where dozens of innocent civilians lost their lives in a massacre two months ago. The choice of venue was not coincidental; it was a conscious decision to transform the bloody memory into a message of resistance through art and life.

As part of activities carried out by Sweida artists in various countries around the world, an art exhibition and music performance were organized on September 27 in Sweida, Syria. The aim was to deliver the voice of the besieged city to the world through paintings and music.

Old guesthouses turned into art platforms

Painter Nesrin al-Hussein said that art is the most honest way to keep memory alive:

“With this event, organized at the sites where massacres took place, we wanted to send our message to the world and show that our resistance continues.” Nesrin al-Hussein demanded the return of the abducted to their families, stating that each painting depicted these losses. “Art carries the voice; our cry must be heard through art. This is the least we can do,” she said.

Artist Semah al-Atwani spoke of the deep wound caused by the massacres: “What happened in Sweida is beyond human imagination. Through our paintings we tried to convey the voice of our city. Despite the shadow of death, we proved our existence and our resistance,” she stated.

‘Their weapon is violence, our weapon is the brush’

For artist Abir Kiyvan, art is a means of resistance. Describing the deep crisis experienced by the city as “a very harsh test,” Abir Kiyvan said: “Their weapon is violence, our weapon is the brush.” She emphasized that participation symbolized proof of their existence and belonging. In her work, inspired by basalt stone and arched structures, she depicted hope born from pain as a dancing figure.

‘I wanted to show the beautiful face of Sweida’

Artist Katia al-Atrash said she preferred to move away from despair and deliver a positive message:

“I painted Sweida’s history of resistance and the horses sung about in its songs. I wanted to show the beauty and artistic side of the city.”

Art is an invincible voice

Participant Semra Huyis drew attention to the universal language of art:

“Art conveys every feeling: pain, joy, death, and life. Today, through art, we expressed both the pain Sweida has experienced and our power to rebuild life.”

From a bullet, a flower; from a cluster, hope

Artist Hacer Garzeddin shaped her works with hope, saying: “Instead of erasing the massacre from memory, we chose to keep it alive through art.” In one of her drawings she depicted the unity of the Sweida people with a cluster of grapes, and in another, a flower sprouting from a bullet to symbolize hope born from death.

Hacer Garzeddin added: “Do not allow yourselves to be separated from your decisions, your culture, and your heritage. Our culture is art, peace, and life. Our only motto is peace.”