Artist Ayman Baalbaki illustrates the war from the perspective of those who see the echo of its impact on the city.

How did you start drawing?

My family includes many artists. That is how my interest in art began. I enrolled in the Institute of Art in 1994 and followed my passion. I tried to get a PhD at the Institute of Arts, but the July 2006 war prevented me from achieving that due to the fire that flared up in my office and swallowed up all of the research and the thesis I had completed. After that incident, I started to restore my research, which made me tired; thus I decided to draw my energy toward the work of art and I left the Institute.

What are the subjects and issues addressed by your work?

I treat socio-political subjects, most of which are related to war. My initiative was a part of the movement of many young artists belonging to the post-war generation. This initiative is based on what Nietzsche calls the “imposition of memory”. After the war, whoever had experienced it, tried to erase its effects and impact from his/her memory and surroundings, although the causes of war and its essence will still be present in the city. Through my work, I consider the reasons that led to the war and I review its manifestations. The painting depicting the war touches whoever experienced it and I can feel the impact of the themes I treat when I watch the faces of those visiting the exhibition, those who have already seen the city under bombardment and who carried weapons in the war. When this visitor sees the scenes of shattered buildings and the destruction of the city, he/she feels a similar picture coming back to his memory, which creates a direct and violent connection with it.

Who acquires your paintings?

Art collectors who take my paintings to their homes look for the war and its effects as they search for a particular style in art. Most of them belong to the generation that lived the war or participated in it. One of the collectors was a combatant in the war with the Lebanese Forces and he acquired one of the most beautiful paintings that I drew that represented the face of one of the commandos. He told me that paintings representing the face of a combatant in the war helped him deal with the war’s impact and see it from a new perspective. I think that every one of us bears wounds of war, some of which are painful and others creating a kind of nostalgia. During times of war, everyone has dreams and issues for which they fight. Thus, this creates an emotionally inflamed atmosphere.

How do you see the combatant in your paintings and illustrations?

Every combatant has an incentive to enter the war; some combatants fought because of hatred, some fought for their interests, some fought for their dreams, and some did not have any other choice.

What about the political frame of your work?

It is hard for me not to be politicized in my work. Whoever has experienced war, displacement and violence cannot but deal with a political issue. By politics, I don’t mean the battle between parties but I mean the adoption of political ideas. I believe that every movement lived by a citizen in the community is a statement of his political belief.

What about the colors and materials you use in your work?

I draw my paintings with the colors of war as I see it. In terms of my sculptures and other works, I look for factors familiar to those who lived the war, starting from the contents of the house and the luggage of each displaced, to the gallon of water. I look for small details that remind me of the beauty of culture such as the fabric colored with flowers used by the Palestinian women to sew their clothes and furniture. When fabric became part of my paintings, it was first a symbol of the nation, a return to the roots and hope as seen by the viewer.