Passers- by capture photos of wall mural painted by Artist Omar Al-Madani in Damascus
Under “Victoria” bridge in the heart of Damascus, artist Omar Al-Madani paints two wall murals showing several historical sites in the city of Jasmine [Damascus].
He completed the first one in two weeks and now he is working on finishing the second one despite the cold weather.
“The two murals have the same idea as they are near each other.. They show several sites in Damascus, And I use colors that are similar to the real sites… I show their beauty as they were when they were built,” Mr. Al-Madani tokd Syria Times.
He noticed that people were attracted by the first mural he had painted as they were capturing photos of it. “Some people, who are coming from other governorates, stop near the mural and take photos of it.”
” I enjoy my work because my main goal is to add beauty to the streets of my city… I hope that artists in other governorates will do the same thing to beautify their streets …Our country is beautiful and it has a beautiful history and nature,” the artist added.
He went on to say: ““When we walk in Damascus’s streets, we see ancient buildings that date back to hundreds or thousands of years. This fact provokes artist to paint sites of ancient civilizations in the city.”The idea of painting wall murals popped up in his mind since a long time, but he was searching for the best locations to start.
Applying the idea came after the approval of the intiative he had presented a few months ago to Damascus governor for beautifying Damascus’s streets with wall murals that must be applied in locations that are not exposed to rain or sun and could be seen by passers-by .
” What I am painting is not complicated and it could be understood by people as it depicts Damascene historical sites that date back to hundreds or thousands of years ago. I paint more than one site in one mural as many civilizations inhibited and passed through Syria throughout ancient times,” Mr. Al-Madani clarified.
He concluded by saying: “My next plan is to paint all Syrian governorates in one wall mural.. I welcome any idea for painting murals that add beauty to our country.”
Mr. Al-Madani has held several solo exhibitions and taken part in many exhibitions with other artists.
Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour