During her residency at Funen Printmaking Studio in Odense, Naila Hekmat worked in collography and etching. She had never worked with aquatint before and was completely captivated by the technique. In late March, Naila led a workshop with a group of children and had an animated discussion with them about her work.
Naila's artworks depict childhood toys, held by the artist as markers of childhood, which appear to be caught in the process of being remembered. Through them, the artist invokes a common ground from which to draw attention to, and reflect upon the lasting impact of, war experiences:
"In our common memory as human beings, despite our different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, toys were part of our dreams as children. But the difference for us, as refugees after the violent war in Syria, is that our experiences changed and this innocent memory was destroyed. Thousands of children lost their limbs and were displaced. We became more like our toys, and our toys more like us. Through these works, I want to shed light on how meanings and memories change as a result of war and post-war challenges."
Residency dates: 15th January - 1st August 2022 (one day a week)
Naila Hekmat was born and raised in Syria, moving to Denmark at the start of the civil war. Naila holds a BA in Fine Art from Damascus University and a Master's degree from Funen Art Academy, Odense. Naila received the Most Talented Child award in Syria in 1997 and the Shankar award in India in 1999.
Image above: Naila Hekmat at Funen Printmaking Studio
