Lama Al-hassanieh’s solo photography depicts the “shadows of serenity” in Syria
Art is more than a hobby, it is a burning passion that lights a fire in people’s souls. It is a way to summarize life, feelings, visions and thoughts and to share them with audiences all over the world.
One of the forms of art is photography , which is a passion for colleague Lama Al-hassanieh who is holding a solo photography exhibition in Abo Remmaneh Cultural center in Damascus to show the shadows of serenity.
She is exhibiting 65 photos depicting hope, sadness and the beauty and diversity of civilizations in Syria.
“It is hard to realize the meaning of light without realizing the meaning of darkness… Life is based on binaries :light and darkness, life and death, good and evil.. etc…” Al-hassanieh told the Syriatimes newspaper during the opening ceremony of her exhibition two days ago.
She believes that various shots could be captured within the period of opening and closing the photographic lens.
About half of her photos are full of sadness, while the other half is divided into two parts reflecting hope through childhood and nature and the beauty of civilization in Syria that has suffered from a savage terror war over the past 9 years.
“The sadness in my photos reflects my inner situation and the general situation in my country caused by the ongoing war and the intellectual destruction,” Al-hassanieh clarified.
She has started here journey in the field of photography since 2015. She passed the exam of Fine Arts Faculty after she had got the general secondary education certificate but her mistake in organizing the choices of joining faculties was behind her registration at the faculty of Literature and Human Science- English Language Department.
In 2018, she held her first solo exhibition in Khan As’ad Pasha in Damascus under the title “Eureka” [from Greek heurēka ‘I have found it’]. “In fact, I have found my passion [Photography],” Al-hassaniehsaid.
A photo of a beautiful girl child standing between a destroyed car and a new one and another photo of lightning as it hits the sea in Lattakia coastal province struck me as the first one representing the hope of moving towards reconstruction while the second shows the beauty of nature.
Several audiences told us in the opening ceremony that the photos are wonderful and they should be exposed abroad to show the beauty of Syria.
“The exhibition proves that the photographer enjoys high sensitivity and professionality in taking photos. The photo of the man setting outside Umayyad Mosque and the other photo that shows Umayyad Mosque’s minaret besides an old Church reflect intellectual and professional aspects,” said the Director-General of the Syrian General Commission of Book Dr. Thaer Zeineddin in response to a question about his impression.
The seven-day exhibition is stunningly beautiful because it shows that life goes on despite all circumstances.
Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour
