SİLVA EL İBRAHIM

Manbij– Berkîn Şêx Mihemed is originally from Kobanê but she lives in Manbij due to the economic condition of her family.  Her father was a lawyer and she lived in many cities of NE Syria due to her father’s work. 29-year-old Berkîn graduated from Tishreen University in 2014. “My interest in painting started when I was a child and my family bought me all materials I needed to develop my skill at university,” said Berkîn Şêx Mihemed, who is a stone painting artist and painter.

She collected stones and painted on them

Berkîn first interested in painting lessons, “I also liked handicrafts and interested in painting on glass. I went to the beach in Latakia to spend time with my friends. I saw stones and thought of painting on them. I picked them up and began to paint on them.”

She paints refugees on stones

Berkîn began to work at Latakia Cultural Center to improve her skills and she took a six-month course. She told us that she has painted the pain of her people on stones, “I paint many symbols on stones such as a dove holding an olive branch in its beak, and many other symbols showing the pain faced by my people on their way to Europe. I try to paint the pain of refugees on stones as much as I can.”

Stones were exhibited at women’s festival

The stones painted by Berkîn were exhibited at the festival titled, “Women are the Source of Art and the Pulse of Creativity”. Her stones drew intense attention at the festival. Berkîn painted the logo of our news agency on a stone, “Art keeps society alive,” Berkîn said.