Syrian Artist's Exhibit Presents A Prayer for Peace
"Requiem for Syria 4," by Khaled Akil.
This month, the Markaz Resource Center and the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies are hosting an art exhibition entitled “Requiem for Syria” by Khaled Akil, a renowned Syrian artist.
The opening of the gallery at the Markaz, which had been in the works for several months, came together just after President Trump issued an executive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Syria.
The two programs, which provide space on campus for understanding of Islam and engagement with Muslim societies and cultures around the globe, were in the midst of addressing student concerns and needs, as well as creating legal and mental health resources for a community that has been directly affected by the travel ban.
Reem Ghanem, a sophomore biology major and curator for the event, recalls the day before the reception: “We all just looked at each other and said, ‘this is exactly what we need right now.’ This is one of those events that will provide a different kind of support.”
Ghanem, who says the Markaz is the place she feels most at home on campus, added that the exhibit “feels like an opening of a space that we need now more than ever. In these really rough times, there is a need for something that shows us love and solidarity and support for each other.”
Associate Dean and Director of the Markaz Resource Center Anita Husen says that particularly at this time, it is special “to provide a space for people to celebrate and appreciate art and come together in community—not over something that is reactionary, negative or political, but over something that is beautiful, creative, and celebratory.”
The six images in the series feature a Turkish Sufi performer and a white pigeon, using a hybrid technique of photography and painting. In his artist statement, Akil explains that the collection was originally created as a prayer for a friend and animal rights activist who was killed in Syria in 2014. “While I created this series as a tribute to her, I later realized that her tragedy symbolizes the calamity that faces all Syrians, and of Syria itself. That’s why I named this series ‘Requiem for Syria.’”
Being able to transcend negative emotions like grief, anger, and frustration, and channel them into something that is productive, inspirational, and uplifting is really the unique message that Akil tells through his art, Husen explains. “And I think that is a lesson that we can all learn.”
“This exhibition is important because it humanizes what is behind the Syrian conflict,” says Abbasi Program Director Shahzad Bashir. “Looking at someone’s deep expression; seeing the complexity of the art is a way to build a greater connection than simply watching something on TV or watching the news.”
In his statement about the exhibit, Akil says the collection “is not about war, it is about peace. Peace is the way of nature, war is man made. This series portrays the minimalism and impartiality of Sufism and nature, and above all, of humanity.”
Akil’s collection will be on display at the Markaz Resource Center until the end of February. Read our Q&A with the artist on the Global Perspectives Medium blog.