Pretty past

Syrian artist creates striking images of old Damascus on canvas

Reem Akkad Dardari from Syria is holding her first solo exhibition from Saturday at the Cultural Foundation. The exhibition will be on for five days and all proceeds will be donated to Unicef.

There are oils in vibrant colours and gentle watercolours, all depicting and documenting old Damascus and the ancient mosques.

Reem, a lovely lady, somehow finds time between raising her three children to carry on painting. She studied English literature in Syria for four years and then moved to the Art Faculty in Damascus where she studied Fine Art and all aspects of painting (all the mediums) for six years.

These days she prefers to paint in oil and watercolours. Oil, because it gives her freedom to express colour and tone in depth, and with watercolours as it has the ability to depict the delicate, gentle shades.

For this exhibition, Reem has chosen to share with all the beauty of old Damascus. It comes alive in her interpretations of vibrant colours and soft, delicate washes. Damascus, Sham or Dimashq as it is also known, has the reputation of being the oldest city in the world, the cradle of civilisation.

Some discoveries suggest that it is older than 8,000 BC. It is the place where secrets of agriculture and metallurgy were discovered and where the alphabet, philosophies, language of trade and urban development were invented.

The ancient Aramaic language can still be heard today. In 64 BC, Syria became part of the Roman Empire. An entirely 'new' city was built over the ancient one. After 635 AD there was mass conversion to Islam and Damascus became the capital of an empire that stretched from the south of France to the west of China.

In 661 AD Baghdad became the capital and Damascus, nothing more than a provincial town with no political role to play. Its physical appearance became scarred by successive assaults and civil strife and much of the city was burnt down, including the Omayad Mosque.

However, the period between 1260 and 1400 was one of relative prosperity for Damascus and from 1516 to 1918 Damascus was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1946 when Syria became independent.

Reem has spent much time exploring the old city and has captured a variety of scenes portraying the architecture and lifestyle of this historic region. Around 30 paintings will be on display. Prices have been kept reasonable to help the efforts of Unicef.