‘Creative Havens: Syrian Artists And Their Studios’ is a project granting us rare access to the studios of the greatest contemporary Syrian artists.

‘Creative Havens’ will showcase 100 Syrian artists (whom we will be interviewing progressively in the course of time), from the most prominent to new, upcoming talents, and offers a visual treat of photography and video, while following each artist through their working routines. Omar Al Akhras, Khaled Takreti, Manhal Issa, Khaled Youssef, Kazem Khalil, Samer Tarabichi, Rashwan Abdelbaki, Eman Nawaya, Tarek Tuma, Valia Abou Alfadel, Boutros Romhein, Elias Naman… the list goes on.

It is an exhilarating experience to be in the presence of a famous artist, even more so to get a sneak peek at new and emerging artists in their innermost sanctums. ‘Creative Havens’  opens doors normally closed to the public, inviting enchantment, curiosity, and perhaps even a bit of controversy. The question of what artists actually get up to in their studios has always intrigued the rest of us – that mysterious alchemical process of transforming base materials into gold, or at least into something marketable in the present volatile art world. Collectors feel honoured, when they are allowed to enter a studio for the first time, the myth around this secret place – the haven of creation, the seeds of innovation – is immense.

The elaborate Website brims with specially commissioned photographs and video films – portraits, artists at work, places of inspiration, studio environments – and keen-witted interviews. The artists not only open the doors to their studios, but also grant access into their thoughts. They express their opinions in all aspects of contemporary Syrian art, thereby painting a vivid picture of what it means to be a Syrian artist today.