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irak special




                                                                     Interview with                                                   Despite  my  natural  attraction  to  the  arts,  I
                                                                                                                                      chose  to  pursue  academic  studies  in  natural
                                                                     Loubna Yassen                                                    sciences,  specialising  in  biochemistry  at

                                                                     Dutch-Syrian artist                                              Damascus  University.  To  further  hone  my
                                                                                                                                      artistic skills, I enrolled in the Adham Ismail
                                                                                                                                      Institute of fine arts in Syria. This educational
                                                                                                                                      experience  allowed  me  to  delve  deeper  into
                                                                                                                                      the world of visual expression, providing me
                                                                                                                                      with a solid foundation in artistic techniques.
                                                                                                                                      Subsequently, I decided to explore journalism,
                                                                                                                                      inspired  by  my  father’s  career,  and  took
                                                                                                                                      courses  at  the  Horizon  Institute  in  Riyadh.
                                                                                                                                      This phase of my education equipped me with
                                                                                                                                      the  necessary  skills  to  navigate  the  dynamic
                                                                                                                                      world of journalism.

                                                                                                                                      The  diverse  educational  background,  spanning
                                                                                                                                      both the sciences and the arts, reflects my holistic
                                                                                                                                      approach to learning and my desire to integrate
                                                                                                                                      various  facets  of  knowledge  into  a  cohesive
                                                                                                                                      understanding of the world. The unique blend
                                                                                                                                      of influences from my family, academic pursuits,
                                                                                                                                      and artistic endeavours has shaped my abilities
                                                                                                                                      and created a broad perspective.

                                                                                                                                      Given your different activities, do you have one
                                                                                                                                      that is particularly close to your heart?
                                                                                                                                      While I have had the privilege of showcasing my
                                                                                                                                      artistic and literary expressions throughout my   You have organized painting exhibits for refugee children. Could you
                                                                                                                                      career, I do find myself more drawn to writing   tell us about this project?
                                                                                                                                      than to painting. I find myself able to thoroughly   Certainly. Organizing art workshops for refugee children was a project
                                                                                                                                      bring  social  or  political  issues  to  light  with   that  aimed  to  address  the  psychological  challenges  faced  by  these
                                                                                                                                      my  writing.  More  specifically;  I  have  had  four   children  in  the  wake  of  wars  and  forced  migration.  The  initiative
                                                                                                                                      personal  exhibitions  and  published  thirteen   was carried out in collaboration with a dedicated group, all sharing
                                                                                                                                      books. I find, when delving into the specifics of   a common goal of providing a therapeutic outlet for these children to
                                                                                                                                      my literary contributions, seven of these books   heal through artistic expression and envision a brighter future.
                                                                                                                                      stand  out as  collections  of  short  stories. These
                                                                                                                                      compilations  represent  a  significant  portion  of   The primary objective of the project was to encourage the participating
                                                                                                                                      my  creative  output,  emphasising  my  love  and   children to channel their emotions, hopes, and dreams onto canvases.
                               She  is  a  Dutch-Syrian  artist  who  wears  many   in  my  case,  for  I  was  raised  in  a  household   passion for short-storytelling.   This  psychologically  gives  them  room  to  express  and  recover  and
                               different hats. Recently, she was the co-organiser   where  creativity  and  intellectual  pursuits  were                                     provides  a  good  outlet  for  expression.  The  act  of  visualising  their
                               of  an  international  conference  on  intellectual   valued.  My  father’s  role  as  a  prominent  writer   One  notable  recognition  that  holds  a  special   aspirations and future through art served as a form of psychological
                               property  in  Baghdad,  where  she  also  did  a   and  journalist,  as  well  as  a  notable  political   place in my heart is winning the first prize for   recovery, fostering their sense of empowerment and resilience.
                               presentation of her latest book. She is a nice and   figure,  and  my  mother’s  passion  for  drawing,   migrant literature in the Netherlands with one
                               friendly person who took of her precious time to   laid the foundation for my own journey. From        of  my  short  stories.  This  accolade  serves  as  a   The  project  then  took  form  in  two  exhibitions  hosted  in  different
                               answer all our numerous questions. The floor is   an  early  age,  I  found  myself  attracted  to  both   poignant  affirmation  that  short  stories  are  not   galleries  within  the  city,  showcasing  the  artwork  created  by  these
                               yours Ms Loubna, …                    writing and drawing. The role models at home                     only a substantial part of my body of work but   children. In addition to the exhibitions, the project extended its reach
                                                                     encouraged  the  development  of  these  talents,                also hold a particular significance for me. The   by involving the children in an annual caravan colouring contest in
                               You  are  a  woman  of  many  talents:  journalist,   and my childhood writings even found outlets     acknowledgment  from  the  literary  community   Groningen. This not only added a festive and celebratory element to
                               artist, and writer. Could you tell us a little about   in children’s magazines and school publications.   in  the  Netherlands  underscores  the  emotional   the initiative but also allowed the children to connect with a broader
                               your background?                      This  early  success  fueled  my  passion  for                   depth and cultural resonance embedded in my   audience, raising awareness within this audience and further integrating
                               The influence of family on my talents is evident   storytelling and artistic expression.               short stories.                         them into their new community.


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