Syrian artists in exile feel free to express themselves and their politics, discovers Lydia James.
‘In times of war it is very important to protect artists: they are the ones who protect the soul of society,’ says Raghad Mardini, the softly spoken Syrian director of Art Residence Aley (ARA).
Beginning with the anti-regime graffiti that sparked the country’s 2011 revolution, Syrian art has undergone a renaissance as artists – particularly those in exile – have felt freer to express themselves and their politics.
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