SORGUL ŞÊXO

Hesekê – Dûa El-Bestatî is a 30-year-old woman painting the world with her feet. People adore her for her skill.  Dûa was born in the El Mayadin neighborhood of Damascus, the youngest child of her family. She was born without arms. She began to go to Hêvi/Hope Physical Disability School when she was 12. She was encouraged by her sisters to paint. Then, she studied fine arts at university. Dûa paints oil on paper, canvas, and many other materials with her feet.

“I always look at the future with hope”

“I am a disabled person since my birth but I never want people to call me a disabled woman. I have never felt disconnected from life; I have never been a person who seeing my disability as a barrier. I always look at the future with hope. I want to show how I overcome barriers with my art,” said Dûa as she was showing us how she holds her brush. “I first determine the place where I will paint, and then I hold my brush with my right foot. I hold the brush using my toes and begin to paint.”

“I don’t accept the people’s attitudes”

Dûa talked about people’s attitudes towards people with disabilities as she was painting. “First of all, I would like to point out that I never and ever accept the people’s attitude and listen to them. I don’t want to hurt someone but they pity my disability, I ignore them. But society should understand that they don’t support people with disabilities when they pity them.”

“I paint social issues”

Dûa gives more space to the feelings and cries of society and women in her paintings and she like painting about social issues. She overjoys painting about many issues such as nature and social textures and she likes to be admired for her paintings. Dûa underlined that she has faced difficulties due to her physical disability but she is aware that this is not a barrier for her.

Each of her painting has a different story

Stating that women, nature, and art have a connection with each other, Dûa said, “I draw my wishes, hopes, expectations, and dreams through art. For me, each of my paintings has a story. I try to tell stories through paintings.” Dûa says she likes painting the lives of orphans, resilient women trying to stand on their feet, nature and ecological destruction but she also likes telling their stories.

She wants to be a world-famous painter

 Dûa is already a well-known painter in many countries but she wants to be a world-famous painter. “My dream is to be a world-famous painter, known by everyone. I want to make my name known with my paintings.” She has participated in painting workshops organized in many countries such as Ukraine, UK, and Jordan.

“I can break all barriers, I have this power”

Dûa has many dreams and she said her physical disability never prevents these dreams. She also called on people with disabilities and said, “Break your barriers. I can break all barriers, I have this power.”