Issam Kourbaj: From Syrian Fields to Global Stages

Artist Issam Kourbaj, born near Suweida, Syria, discusses his journey from a rural childhood to becoming an internationally recognized artist based in Cambridge, UK. His work, spanning fine art, architecture, theatre design, and performance, often addresses the Syrian crisis and refugee plight. Kourbaj studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Damascus (1980-84) under Fateh Moudarres and met Marwan Kassab-Bachi. A scholarship from the Soviet Cultural Centre led him to study architecture in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) during perestroika. After moving to England, he exhibited alongside Elisabeth Frink, Eduardo Paolozzi, John Piper, and Claes Oldenburg. His sketchbook was acquired by the British Museum in 1997, and his work 'Sound Palimpsest' (2008) and 'Dark Water, Burning World' (2017) are in the BM collection. The latter, made from repurposed bicycle mudguards, was chosen as 'The 101st Object' for BBC Radio 4's 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'. His installation 'Another Day Lost' (2015) created miniature refugee camps from waste materials at five London locations. Currently, Kourbaj has an exhibition 'Fleeing the Dark' at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, where he curated objects from the museum's collection and Naturalis Biodiversity Center alongside his own works. A living element includes Syrian wheat grown from seeds from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, harvested and made into bread, symbolizing the cycle of life.