Syrian refugee artist abandons engineering for art to narrate plight of his people

By Omer Faruk Madanoglu

ISTANBUL, Türkiye – A Syrian refugee in Türkiye narrates the brutality of the Syrian civil war by creating drawings of the violence and hardship his people face while they are fleeing from the destruction of relentless bombings on civilian settlements.

Graphic artist Omar al-Masri was born in Hama, Syria, in 1994 and fled his homeland after he lost his brother during the escalating bombing attacks in the region. The al-Masri family first sought refuge in northern Syria before fleeing to Türkiye, where they have lived since 2014.

- Shifts from engineering to pursue art

Studying engineering at a university in Türkiye, al-Masri found solace in the art of drawing to express his frustration and forget his past traumas. With the guidance of his professor, he started to make drawings that depicted the Syrian civil war, focusing on migration, violence and refugees.

“I wanted to tell the world what my people in Syria were going through, and my art became a means. We live in a world where the oppressed are only on the agenda briefly when they die. I want everyone in the world to understand and notice the suffering of the oppressed, and I create this art to make their voices heard as loudly as possible. I know the world is cruel, but with this art, maybe we can change something.” al-Masri said.

After gaining popularity on social media for his drawings, he transferred to the fine arts faculty at a private university during his final year at Sakarya University in Türkiye. Al-Masri said that he uses the money for charity: “By selling my works, I send the money to the White Helmets, who work voluntarily in Syria. My motto is to help people in all areas of life as much as I can.”

- ‘As Syrians, we should better introduce ourselves to Turkish society’

Al-Masri stressed that Türkiye has generously welcomed Syrian refugees since the onset of the Syrian civil war.

“Syrians didn’t come from a normal country; they came to Türkiye fleeing the civil war. Enforcing mandatory assimilation and integration on a single segment of society is wrong. This process should be mutual,” he said.

Al-Masri also sees social media as being another primary driver of racism, which he says has become a home for the spread of unfounded rumors and what he calls a language of animosity towards Syrians.

He made it clear that Türkiye does not have a racism problem, but rather, “provocateurs” are at work to mislead the society intentionally.

“We are now studying in Türkiye, starting businesses, getting married – in short, we live here. We must get to know each other better and unite against racism. As Syrians, we should introduce ourselves better to the Turkish community and understand Turkish culture,” he said.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan