Syrian Success Story

From a child, who was passionate about drawing, to a creative artist with a noble art project. This is in short the story of Ghiyath Sqair, an ambitious Syrian youth, who despite the years of war in Syria, never gave up his dream to be a distinguished painter.

Ghiyath was able to turn his talent in drawing into a successful project, to be an example to follow by other ambitious Syrian youth in struggling to achieve their goals. Through a small house and with the simplest equipment, Ghiyath managed to establish an institute to teach children the art of painting.

Although he was a soldier in the Syrian Arab Army during the crisis in the country, his passion for drawing never left him, so he worked hard to develop his talent and skills to establish his own project.

 “My love for drawing began when I was in the elementary school. It was apparent through my participation in school exhibitions and my distinction in several drawing competitions. I finished my high school stage, but could not enroll in the Faculty of Fine Arts, yet this did not prevent me from pursuing my talent, rather it motivated me to work hard on my own and develop my talent”, Ghiyath told Syria Times.

“I studied at the Adham Ismail Institute for Fine Arts in Damascus and followed many training courses to move from the stage of simple talent to the stage of academic talent. Then I moved on to study at the Walid Ezzat Institute, where I learned the rules of sculpture and Arabic calligraphy, and finally I studied under the supervision of Professor Maha Mahfouz, who is now the head of the Fine Artists Syndicate in Syria and supported me and supplied me her extensive experience,” Ghiyath said.

“My passion for drawing led me to think about establishing an institute to teach drawing to children. The first step in my project “Dar Al-Fan” (the House of Art) was supported by First Lady Asma Al-Assad though the small projects initiative entitled “Bukra Ilna” which aims at supporting families of military personnel. The initiative provided economic support in the form of interest-free loans to every family who aspires to establish a small project to earn a living from”, Ghiyath explained.

 “I loved to transfer my skills in drawing and everything I have mastered to talented children as to help them express their creative ideas, develop their talents and spend their time in useful activities”, he said.

Ghiyath pointed out that the institute was opened in a popular neighborhood and parents welcomed the idea and were very excited to teach their children the art of drawing.

“I started teaching children drawing gradually, first with pencil, and then we move to drawing with wood colors, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, and finally with oil colors. In this way the children gained experience and knowledge of all types and methods of drawing and became able to draw in an academic way,” Ghiyath indicated.

“For me, drawing refines the soul and a release energies. It develops the child’s sense of nature and the beauty of the universe, so he can transfer what he sees realistically on paper. Drawing instigates the child’s feeling, imagination, and creativity. It is a way for the child to express his inner feelings,” he clarified.

Besides teaching the art of drawing, I opened a department to teach children the rules of Arabic calligraphy (Riq’a calligraphy), he pointed out.

Regarding the exhibitions in which he participated, Ghiyath said he participated in Adham Ismail Center exhibitions, as well as a joint exhibition with Professor Waddah Al-Sayyed and an exhibition entitled “Small Paintings”.

“My students also participated in an exhibition sponsored by the Baath Vanguards Organization in which the paintings expressed the children’s love for their homeland, Syria, and their leader,” Ghiyath said, adding “the students are now preparing for an oil painting exhibition entitled “I Love Damascus”.

Souha Suleiman