Ward Zaraa

Art Works

A LOT OF FEELINGS AND IDEAS TRANSLATED BY COLOURS

Homosexual

Acrylics on Cartoon/2022

I created these two artworks along with an article I wrote for Untold Stories for the LGBTQ-themed Syrian Queer in the Syrian Cultural Landscape.
The article talks about how I, as a queer, see gender non-stereotypical characters in Syrian literature. I drew on the character of (Hafsa) in the play Rituals of Signs and Transformations by Saadallah Wannous. And the last painting is about two women making love from The Evil Poem of Nizar Qabbani

Ward_now#
As a trans man, born a Palestinian refugee in Syria, and made a refugee again after leaving Syria for Sweden during the war, I have always been the product of the situations and political changes around me. Following the news has never been a something I do for enjoyment. I have never had the luxury of choosing whether or not to watch the news, as it is usually speaking about me or my family. This became even more the case after the war in Syria, when I became a refugee in Sweden. Refugees were a major feature in every headline and every election. My nationality was recorded as ‘stateless’ because the world didn’t recognize me as Palestinian; My gender and national identities are breaking news, and every breaking news item is me and others like me. The latest news is always about the facts of our daily lives.
My Exhibition #Ward_now on the first of Dec2022, in Göteborg is a record of my diaries using drawings in ink and watercolours. They are a cry about our daily suffering. They are our breaking news.
A note about the name of the exhibition: When written in Arabic, the name Ward can also be read ‘Warada’. #Waradalaan (received just now), is used to announce breaking news.
Between the Forest and the Bamboo Shoot

Are you like me, dear bamboo, queer and a refugee?

Being at the intersection of queer and refugee in a new country means that one has few friends. I used to go to the forest when times were rough, and I developed a new relationship with nature which enabled me to reconcile with my body. Nature helped me accept my body more and offered me the courage to assume my real gender identity as a man. On my nature strolls, I observed the details around me, and as they reflected positively on me, I felt acceptance. There are no classifications here, everything exists as it is, and each thing has its role. There are no evaluations and standardizations in the forest and there is a place for everyone.

Illustration:
Capitalism is eating me

Digital_Art
July 2022

Full text on the link in https: //kohljournal.press/between-forest-and-bamboo-shoot

The Type of Medical Therapy to Undertake as Well as The Section Focused on Legal Rights

Oxfam · Lebanon/2022

Infographics for the project ‘Challenging Stereotypes, Providing Services, Convening, and Advocating: A multi-layer approach to promote LGBTQ rights in Lebanon’

Challenges facing women in relation to the Syrian political context

The more i learn, the more feminist i become. It is imposible for who studies sociology and history not to be a feminist. Therefore, my artistic works now are serving the goals that I believe in most as a feminist transman.
My latest work, of which I am sharing drawings here. It is about documenting the role of Syrian women in political action and the impact of the war on it. This file was with the @syrianfeminishttps://www.instagram.com/p/ClGLKvAI8Q0/tlobby

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