ARTIST / Sami DARWICH
Sami DARWICH

Born in Damascus in January 1985, he was passionate about images from an early age. It all started at the age of 11 following his first role in a television soap opera. “I felt the need to go to the other side of the camera.” The world of the stage led him to admire the capture of a moment, which is how he began to appreciate photography. For several years he alternated between his passion for acting and that of photography. In 2011, the Arab Spring period began. The powers that be confiscated archives containing 3,500 images. He completed his literature diploma and left Damascus for France in 2012.

Being French-Syrian, he was able to take the plane to France, he explains with bitterness: I sometimes feel a feeling of guilt for all those who cross the Mediterranean at the risk of their lives, but also a need to act and to feel useful. He continues to volunteer (translator, photographer, guide) with associations that help the most vulnerable. He practiced photography during these stages as if to bear witness to all these rapid and intense changes.

In 2022, he participated in the creation of the ASSAR Réfugiés association to help refugee families find a dignified welcome and the possibility of a better life. In 2023 he does a lot of portraits: so I needed to see people and meet their eyes. Gradually, this need transformed into a daily life which, subsequently, took the form of a project without delay or borders “Portraits of my country” which will be its first exhibition in France in 2024.

Sami DARWICH