For many, life would be simply unimaginable without making art. Throughout history we find so many artists who continue crafting their art works, even under the harshest of circumstances. Loubna Arsalan (Damascus (Syria), 1976) is one of the living proof of this; she arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee at the beginning of 2022 and has been living on a boat which functions as an emergency refugee center. Despite the difficulty of her circumstances, she has continued making paintings and we spoke to her about her work at the site.
“I have always liked art. I started making watercolors at the age of eight and later, at the age of eleven, I started with oil paint. I taught myself how to do these things. When I was older I enrolled at the Art Academy at Damascus University to study fine art and specifically to study painting. I had to learn all the techniques, how to paint in perspective and the science of aesthetics, etc . I studied from 1995 until the year 1999. After that I started my career in art and exhibited my paintings in galleries in Syria and in many international exhibitions in Egypt, Turkey and Dubai. I only stopped working for about two years when the war in Syria escalated dramatically. The sound of the bullets were too loud and overwhelmed me so much that I couldn’t paint anymore. The sounds were louder than my thoughts. The circumstances were incredibly difficult at the time and nothing was stable. Nevertheless I soon started painting again. I worked as an art teacher during the day, and when I got home I would continue painting. I painted every day and couldn’t stop. Whenever I stopped, I got depressed, so I just had to continue making them. It was my way to express the fear and lack of safety I felt. It wasn’t until I arrived in Groningen that I finally felt safe again.
It wasn’t until I arrived in Groningen that I finally felt safe again.
As soon as I could, I started painting again, despite it being a difficult situation here on the boat. I only have a small room and I also have to share this limited amount of space. It’s not a good place to make paintings since you can’t open the windows and the fumes aren’t good for your health. But I have no other option. It’s quite chaotic here at times and I paint wherever I can; sometimes I have to work on my bed and other times I just end up working on the floor. I also have limited access to the materials and the tools that I need in order to do my work properly. Nevertheless I managed to already exhibit my work at the Forma Aktua gallery here in Groningen. A friend of mine introduced me to them and after I showed my work they decided to exhibit the paintings I have. I got good reactions about my work and I want to continue making art. I have many plans and ideas, however this is severely limited by the possibilities I have. For now I am using painting as a way to spend my time waiting here on the boat. Maybe when I finally get assigned a house, then I can seriously start my art career again. I have had a long art career and I really want to continue my work. It is difficult to know how art and the art world works in the Netherlands when it is so hard to reach from this location.
My paintings are about human beings and they are often portraits of women. I am not entirely sure why I always paint women, but they are important to me as they are the creators of life and therefore the essence of life. I usually start with charcoal or acrylic paint and finish my work in oil paint. It takes me four days up to two weeks to finish a painting, generally speaking. I work intuitively and I have a habit of starting with an idea for a painting and ending up with something that is completely different than what I started with. The starting point is for me precisely that; a point from which I try to reach something else. I have a great time while painting; it’s very relaxing and I feel my existence. While I work the emotions flow through my mind and my imagination, which in turn informs my process. I never use models but I paint from my emotions and imagination. The painting is a reflection of my mindset and this is why it is important to continue to keep painting. No matter how difficult this is. Hopefully, in the future, I will have my own exhibition in Amsterdam, that would be amazing.”