Yara Hasko: An Artist from Afrin Depicts War Conflicts in 30 Paintings
The exhibition represents a unique artistic experience combining pain and hope by embodying contradictory emotions generated under ongoing conflict, while the artist managed to transform the shock of
October 22, 2024, 11:46 pm

Yara Hasko: An Artist from Afrin Depicts War Conflicts in 30 Paintings

يارا حسكو \ ليفانت

Visual artist Yara Hasko is preparing to open her solo exhibition at the Kulturvan Center in Amuda on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 5:00 PM.

Hasko, who hails from Afrin in northwestern Syria, revealed that the exhibition contains 30 paintings of various sizes, embodying her personal experience amid the contradictions and conflicts of war.

In an exclusive interview with Levant News, the artist highlighted that her paintings explore a wide spectrum of human emotions, from struggle and surrender to attempts, grief, pain, love, and desire for life.

Hasko explained that she organized the exhibition through her own efforts, noting that invitations were sent to various cultural entities and individuals interested in visual art.

The artist spoke about her deepening relationship with art following the occupation of Afrin in 2018 and Ras al-Ain/Serê Kaniyê in 2019, indicating her profound impact by the fate of both cities.

Hasko revealed her early passion for art and her dream of studying arts at the Higher Institute before turning to engineering studies, only to return to the art world after completing her university education.

The exhibition continues for a full week at the Kulturvan Center, offering visitors the opportunity to explore a unique artistic vision blending pain and hope in the context of the Syrian war.

The Turkish army and Syrian opposition militants occupied the Afrin region in March 2018 after a two-month wide-scale attack, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of its original inhabitants, amid looting and systematic demographic change through bringing thousands of foreign settlers from other areas and housing them in the homes of the displaced.

The same scenario was repeated in October 2019, when the Turkish army and its factions launched an attack on Ras al-Ain/Serê Kaniyê, using warplanes and heavy artillery, resulting in the displacement of tens of thousands of civilian residents, before occupying the city and imposing Turkification and settlement policies, making a radical change in the region's demographic composition.

Levant-Exclusive

Israel Confirms Elimination of Nasrallah's Top Man and Hezbollah Intelligence Leaders Shin Bet Uncovers Palestinian Cell Linked to Iranian Intelligence in Jerusalem

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”