Rania Ma’sarani’s “Sculptures Inspired by Palmyra” Exhibition at Dar al-Assad for Arts and Culture

DAMASCUS, (ST)- Inspired by the rich civilization of Palmyra as well as by the cultural heritage of Syria and provoked by the destruction caused to this historical city by the foreign-backed takfiri terrorists and the looting of its artifacts, fine artist Rania Ma’sarani tried, through her solo exhibition “Sculptures inspired by Palmyra”, held recently at Dar al-Assad for Arts and Culture in Damascus, to skillfully document the history of the archeological city and picture the details of the life of the Palmyrenes.

 The Exhibition showcased tens of works that varied between clay mural sculptures depicting the specificity of the Palmyrene identity, the Palmyrene women and their luxurious life as well as the beauty of inscriptions and decorations in the East al-Heir Palace, the Temple of Baal and other artifacts. Exhibited artworks also included wall paintings using the Ajami drawing technique simulating Palmyra’s civilization, nature and palm trees as well as the Sofi heritage in Syria.

  Ma’sarani used clay in her sculptures because it is the material of old civilizations.

The exhibition is a message about the greatness and steadfastness of Palmyra, the pearl of the desert.
“Syria is the cradle of civilizations and we, as Syrians, have to appreciate and protect the rich heritage we have, because during wars, enemies target countries’ cultural heritage to eliminate peoples’ identity and history, said artist Ma’sarani in a statement to SANA.

“In their war on Syria, our enemies have adopted a systematic method to destroy our civilization and identity, Ma’sarani stressed, pointing out that she visited Palmyra in 2016 and saw the damage caused to the city because of terrorism and she was mostly affected by the destruction of the Temple of Baal which she considers as a disaster and a crime against the entire humanity. Through her works, Ma’sarani wanted to restore the magic of Palmyra and to fix what has been destroyed by the terrorist war.

Though Ma’sarani is basically a musician, she managed to actively contribute to the movement of fine arts in Syria.
Rania Ma’sarani is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Music and a founding member of the Syrian Symphony in 1993. She is a violinist who played in several Syrian musical bands. She got a silver medal from the French Academic Association for Arts and Sciences. She has also held several fine art exhibitions inside Syria and abroad.

Hamda Mustafa