March 26, 2021
Latakia, November 2012. A cotton candy seller during his daily tour in one of Latakia’s neighborhoods turns his head upwards to respond to a child who asks him to wait for him to come down and buy cotton candy.
Ashraf Zeinah: During more than 10 years of my work in the field of photography, most of which coincided with the Syrian crisis, I have always tried to document moments that inspire hope and optimism and not the opposite. I love photographing people, their faces and eyes, the details of their daily lives, and telling their stories through my pictures. I always look for the positive image in someone’s story because I believe that hope is always present.
March 18, 2021
16 fotógrafos sirios recuerdan una década de guerra en su país
Retrato de un país herido donde la vida y el deseo de un futuro mejor se abre paso entre las sombras del conflicto armado. Una pareja de prometidos en Latakia, en diciembre de 2016.
Ashraf Zeinah: Me encanta fotografiar a la gente, sus rostros, sus ojos, detalles de su vida diaria y contar sus historias a través de mis imágenes. Siempre busco el lado positivo porque creo que la esperanza siempre está presente.
March 15, 2021
ASHRAF ZEINAH : «L’ESPOIR EST TOUJOURS PRÉSENT»
Je travaille depuis plus de dix ans dans le domaine de la photographie, et cela a coïncidé pour l’essentiel avec la crise syrienne. J’ai toujours essayé de documenter des moments qui inspirent l’espoir et l’optimisme, et non l’inverse. J’adore photographier les gens, leurs visages et leurs yeux, les détails de leurs vies quotidiennes, et raconter leurs histoires à travers mes photos. Je cherche toujours l’image positive dans l’histoire de quelqu’un, car je crois que l’espoir est toujours présent.
March 15, 2021
Marking a decade of conflict in Syria and in honour of the enduring resilience of the country’s people, the United Nations and Silkroad, Yo-Yo Ma’s non-profit organization, have today released ‘I Wish It Had Been a Dream’: Voices from Syria, a “soundscape” that mixes self-recorded messages from people inside Syria with music.
Throughout the ten years of conflict in Syria, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been killed and maimed, and millions have been forced to flee their homes. Currently, 13.4 million people need humanitarian assistance, and with almost the entire population now impoverished, Syria’s humanitarian needs continue to grow at an alarming rate.
March 13, 2021
Siria, 10 anni dopo: la guerra nelle immagini e nelle parole dei fotografi siriani
Un venditore di dolci risponde al richiamo di un bambino nelle strade di Latakia, nel 2012
Ashraf Zeinah: Nelle mie foto cerco sempre la speranza perchè credo che nonostante tutto la speranza sia sempre presente.
June 23, 2016
Syria is my home. Escape was never an Option.
My interview with News Magazine. Vienna, Austria
October 15, 2015 – BBC Trending
The Syrian conflict has killed more than 250,000, displaced millions and prompted a wave of refugees to neighboring countries, Europe and elsewhere. The scale of the devastation is so massive that it might seem surprising that there are places inside the country that look mostly untouched by war.
One of those places is Latakia, in the northwest of the country and a stronghold of the Alawite sect – the same group that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family belong to. The fighting is not far away, and thousands of people fleeing from elsewhere have arrived there, swelling the population and straining local services. But on Instagram, Latakia is still a place where a very different culture is visible. Searches for photos tagged Latakia (also spelled Lattakia) show beaches, nightclubs and idyllic scenes.
One of Latakia’s most prolific photographers is Ashraf Zeinah, spoke to BBC Trending about the stories behind some of the most striking photographs he’s shared.
May 29, 2015
The First Prize in the UNDP Photo Contest: Faces of Resilience held from the 12th November to the 7th of December 2014. From over 140 submissions and 14 thousand votes cast, my photo collected the highest number of votes, which was about a little girl sleeping on the floor near her brother in the temporary residence center in Syria, Lattakia, 2013.
While conflicts are ravaging many communities in the region, the aim of this contest has been to tell and celebrate a different narrative: the incredible resilience of people and their capacity to withstand and rebound from the crises.