Artists
"You can find further information about the artists we interviewed as part of the project on this page."
Mosaic Artist
Cihad Katat
This artist was born and raised in Damascus and learned a kind of art known as wood engraving or wood inlay, a centuries-old tradition in this city, during his apprenticeship. Inlay is created by converting small pieces of wood, metal, and precious metals into patterns with geometric shapes and applying them to furniture products such as boxes, chess boards, and mirror frames. In addition to traditional practices, the artist works mainly on decor and large pieces. He continued to work on the art of wood inlay after he came to Turkiye which he learned traditionally from his family. Currently, he continues his work at his own workshop located in Halkalı, Istanbul
Painter
İbrahim Hassoun
He was born in 1972 in Aleppo. He received his undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Damascus University in 2015 and his master's degree from the same university in 2016. The artist, who has been living in Turkey for about eight years, has organized many national and international exhibitions and received several awards.
Painter
Ahmed Raid
He was born in Aleppo in 1977. He completed his arts education at the Aleppo Centre for Culture and Arts. He participated in many exhibitions before the civil war broke out in Syria. After the war, he came to Istanbul and began to continue his work here.
Painter
Imad Habbab
Deciding to take one step closer to the concepts of art at the age of 13, Imad attended professional art classes in Damascus. While the Faculty of Fine Arts, which he graduated in 2011, provided a rich background, Impressionism was a special experience that encouraged him to create his concepts with a rich palette. After the Syrian crisis broke out in 2012, Imad had to leave his country.
Illustrator
Walaa Tarakji
Walaa Tarakji, an independent artist, graduated from Theatre Arts and Scenography Department in 2012. She started her working life in 2013 in the Leish theater group as a stage designer and at the Shanta theatre group as a scenographer. She also does illustrations. She participated in many workshops and projects. She is continuing her postgraduate education at Kocaeli University Visual Communication Design Program.
Qanun Performer
Fady Hariri
Born in Aleppo in 1987, the artist continued his music education in Aleppo and graduated from Fine Arts High School in 2005. Specializing in Qanun and piano, Fady has given concerts both solo and with various orchestras since 2009. Currently living in the Balat district of Istanbul, the artist, on the one hand, gives lessons of Qanun and piano, and on the other hand, continues performing Qanun in concerts.
Calligrapher
Mohammed Imad Mahhouk
Born in Aleppo in 1959, the artist graduated from the department of Nuclear Physics, Aleppo University. His particular interest in Islamic arts channeled his interest into calligraphy. Mahhouk came to Istanbul in 1990 and received a diploma in the restoration of manuscripts in the Süleymaniye Library, and attended the Thuluth lessons of Calligrapher Hasan Çelebi in the same year. He acquired trainings on different types of calligraphy from leading calligraphy artists in the Arab world such as Shawki, Izzat Mustafa Alraqem, Sami, Ahmad al-Quar Hsari. He has worked in the cities of Aleppo and Riyadh, and his works have been exhibited in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, England, France, Italy and Turkiye. The artist, who has been living in Istanbul since 2013, continues to work in Istanbul.
Painter
Ahmad Haj Omar
Born in Syria in 1989, this artist graduated from the Faculty of fine and applied arts, the University of Aleppo in 2014. Haj Omar, who came to Istanbul after the outbreak of civil war in Syria, currently works from his house in Şişli. He works on portraits of humans affected by the war in everyday life due to the impact of the civil war in Syria and portraits about nature in an expressionist/abstract style.
Calligrapher
Heysem Selmo
He was born in 1970 in Raqqa, Syria. After receiving his education in calligraphy, he started to work as a calligraphy teacher in Aleppo in 1999. The artist, who has been regularly visiting Turkiye since 2002, took thuluth n naskh lessons from Calligrapher Hasan Çelebi. During these visit to Turkiye he completed his education and received his license from Hasan Çelebi in 2007. Currently living in Istanbul, the artist continues his calligraphy works and trains students in the same field.
Wood Embossing Artist
Hişam Mecik
The artist, born in Syria in 1966, has expertise in the traditional handicraft called Ajami in Syria for more than thirty years. Ajami is a form of ornamentation that is created by making relief patterns on wood with the help of a kind of glue that is used for interior decoration. He participated in the restoration of some historical artifacts in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo. Hişam, who came to Istanbul after the Syrian civil war, performs his work from the workshop at his home and also gives trainings in this field.
Musician
Yaser Hudair
Yaser Hudair
Born in Aleppo in 1976, Yaser Hudair is an Oud and Qanun player and manufacturer. Hudair, who first learned to play the percussion and oud at the age of 8 with the encouragement of his family, soon came accross Qanun at the age of 12. The artist, who learned the way to make a qanun and an oud from his friends along with the information he obtained from the internet, later opened a workshop in Aleppo and started to produce these instruments. Hudair, who started to perform in restaurants after coming to Turkey, now manufactures musical instruments at his workshop in Istanbul’s Topkapı area.
Wood Sculptor
Selahattin Cilo
Selahattin Cilo
Born in Idlib, Syria, the artist has visited countries such as Jordan, Brazil, Argentina and Iraq since age 10. Returning to Syria after 1997, Cilo 's interest in wood art began at the age of 17 as a carpenter. The artist, who makes miniature products such as ships and clocks from wood made of natural trees. He performs his art with his two sons in his workshop in Kilis.
Calligrapher and Ebru Artist
Hasna Tahhan
Hasna Tahhan
Calligrapher, illuminator and ebru artist Hesna Tahhan moved to Gaziantep with his wife and four children from Aleppo, Syria in 2014. Tahhan, whose husband is one of the important calligraphers of Syria, learned calligraphy from his husband after emigrating to Turkey. She has participated in various exhibitions in Gaziantep. Tahhan is interested in calligraphy, tazheeb and ebru.
Musician/Singer
Ahmet Şükrü
Ahmet Şükrü
Singer Ahmet Şükrü was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. The artist graduated from Aleppo Music School. He composes and sings many different types of songs. He is currently living in Gaziantep.
Sculptor
Eymen Nasır
Eymen Nasır
The father of five, artist and writer Eymen Nasır , was born and raised in the Syrian city of Raqqa. Nasır, who grew up in a city on the banks of the Euphrates, was interested in sculpture, and his childhood began when he made clay sculptures that he played with on the beach. The artist graduated from Latakia Art School. After the internal turmoil in his country, Nasır moved to Şanlıurfa , where he continues to write novels and perform sculpture art.
Theator Actor
Eyad Babtji
Eyad Babtji
Born and raised in Aleppo, Syria, the theater actor Babtji graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Aleppo University. The artist, who had to leave his country in 2013, settled in Gaziantep. He is currently doing his master's degree in political science at Gaziantep University. Babtji, who watched a lot of cartoons in his childhood, paid attention to sounds and followed dubbing artists closely, started his interest in theater at an early age. Nowadays, the artist continues his life in Gaziantep, as well as continuing his education.
Illustrator
Emin Nafouri
Emin Nafouri
Illustrator Emin Nafouri was born in Raqqa, Syria in 1991. Nafouri graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2013, and his interest in art began in his childhood. His father and two older sisters are both Fine Arts graduates, and the art education he received at the age of six at the Adem Ismail Course in Damascus. Emin Nafouri, currently living in Istanbul, continues his illustration work on a part-time basis.
Photographer
Baraa Haddad
Baraa Haddad
Photographer Baraa Haddad was born in Latakia, Syria. The 27-year-old artist has worked as a journalist in Syria and worked in humanitarian organizations. During this period, he documented the journey of forced migrants. After coming to Turkey, Baraa started working as a short documentary film producer at TRT and continues his profession there.
Musician
Mahir Nana
Mahir Nana
Mahir Nana, a musician from the Syrian city of Aleppo, grew up in an artistic family. His father and brothers are interested in music and playing instruments such as qanun and oud. Nana's childhood and adulthood were also influenced by this interest. He himself started music school at the age of 15 and continued this education for about five years. At the age of 23, he started his career as a music teacher. At that time, he gave lectures in different courses and associations in Aleppo. Nana came to Istanbul in 2016 and opened a music course there. Nowadays, he gives lectures to people from different countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt.
Architect and Designer
Diala Hamed
Diala Hamed
Interior architect and designer Diala Hamed was born in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, originally from Palestine, but has spent most of her life in Syria. Having studied Fine Arts in Syria, Hamed specializes in interior architecture. She came to Istanbul in 2012 at the beginning of the turmoil in Syria. She has been living here for about ten years. The artist continues her work in an office in Istanbul.
Rapper
Mehdi Kilani
Mehdi Kilani
Rapper Mehdi Kilani was born in 1990 in Homs, Syria. He works in the field of beatmix and hip-hop. His father and uncles were also musicians. Hence, Kilani's interest in music and musical instruments started at an early age. Although the artist did not academically receive any musical education, he says he learned music on the street. Kilani sees rap music as a means of expressing his feelings and thoughts. He came to Istanbul in 2015 and met the music group Debdebe there. He performs with this group from time to time. At the same time, he continues his individual projects.
Painter
Eyas Jaafar
Eyas Jaafar
Painter Eyas Jaafar was born in Damascus, Syria. He completed his education at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus. His interest in painting started with drawing cartoon characters in his childhood. He started his art education by taking painting lessons at the Adem İsmail course. After graduation, he made illustrations for children's books. Throughout his art life, he has performed works with different techniques and opened these works to the public in various exhibitions. The artist currently lives in Istanbul.
Calligrapher
Shady Eid
Shady Eid
Born in 1986, Syrian calligrapher Shady Eid studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Aleppo. He completed his master's and doctoral studies at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University in Istanbul. Eid, who has work experience in different fields such as electronic marketing, interior architecture, and media, lives and works in Istanbul. Calligrapher Shady Eid produces works on contemporary calligraphy.
Painter
Farah Trablsie
Farah Trablsie
Farah Trablsie, a painter, was born in Damascus in 1985. She completed her art education at Damascus State University. During his school years, the artist received numerous awards and certificates in the field of art. Trablsie moved to Istanbul in 2013, where she continues to pursue her artistic and social interests. She also exhibits her work in numerous exhibitions.
Painter
Hayyam Zedan
Hayyam Zedan
Painter Hayyam Zedan was born in Damascus in 1983. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts and had worked as a lecturer at Damascus University before the internal turmoil emerged in Syria. With the support of his family, he turned to art and made his first oil painting at the age of 16. The artist came to Turkey in early 2017 and continues to live in Istanbul.
This project aims to reveal the effects of migration on the fields of culture and art and has been completed under auspices of İLKE Foundation that has considerably contributed to the society through various projects in different fields it has undertaken over years.
İLKE - Foundation For Science Culture and Education
Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi Mah.
Türbe Kapısı Sok. No: 13 Üsküdar/İSTANBUL
Phone Number: +90 216 532 63 70
Mail: sanatingocu@ilke.org.tr