This is an image from my final Arabic presentation on a Syrian artist, Tammam Azzam. Quickly after the Syrian Revolution started in 2011, Azzam was sent a letter from the Syrian Army asking him to fight in the war. He didn't want to be a part of this conflict, so he fled to Dubai with his family.

He had to leave all of this oil painting supplies behind and all of the materials that he used to paint with in Syria. Azzam felt he needed to express himself about how he felt about his country and the war happening and wanted to do it through his art, but with no supplies...he needed to find a new way.

He had a computer...so he found a new way.

He took real photos of Syria and the devastating effects the war has had on the country and placed photos of other real objects or real pantings done by famous artists and photoshopped them together. Like this photo above that is of a real area of Syria that has been ruined by the war and Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night" was interjected into the background.

These images combine something beautiful with something that once was beautiful.
Such a wonderful idea and such unique images.