Silva Mala Othman
Aleppo — In a world where emotions intertwine with colors and fleeting moments turn into eternal paintings, Syrian artist Sara Al-Ayoubi stands out as a unique visual voice that combines human depth with artistic precision. She has succeeded in paving her way in the world of art through paintings that pulse with life.

A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Aleppo, Sara Al-Ayoubi has opened new windows to the outside world through her artworks that merge fantasy and reality. Her drawings speak of identity, resistance, and struggle. She believes that art can transform fleeting moments — whether sad or joyful — into eternal memories.

She began her artistic journey during childhood. She recalls the first moment she was inspired to draw when she was in fifth grade: she drew a portrait of her teacher during class and realized that the picture closely resembled her features. Her classmates and teacher admired the drawing and helped her realize that she might have real talent in art.

She draws inspiration from her emotions and the situations she has lived through. She once painted a girl lost in thought — at that time, Sara Al-Ayoubi was herself feeling lost and at a crossroads, unsure of which direction to take. Unable to express her emotions in words, she turned to drawing as her only language to translate what she felt inside.

In another painting depicting a girl drowning in water, the idea was inspired by the country’s reality and the turmoil it has witnessed. That image reflected the chaos and confusion she experienced — a feeling of drowning amidst events without being able to express it — so she found in painting the most honest way to pour out her inner emotions.

Through another artwork showing an old man’s hand holding a child’s hand, the idea behind the painting was the coexistence of modernity and progress while remaining rooted in traditions as a fundamental reference for humanity. However, as she notes, people might interpret the painting differently depending on their feelings and perspectives.

The Realist School of Art — particularly hyperrealism — is her greatest source of inspiration. She is drawn to this style that captures the finest details and gives paintings a stunningly photographic quality, as if taken with a professional camera. This artistic approach reflects human mastery in translating reality through the pencil, making drawing an expressive tool that reveals the beauty of details often missed by the naked eye.

Portrait Style
Sara Al-Ayoubi uses the portrait style in her art because she believes it allows her to express emotions in a heightened way. This style focuses mainly on facial features, especially the eyes, which she says are the most powerful conveyors of human emotion.

Her artistic journey has undergone major transformations, including a stage of maturity in which she began to focus more on details, colors, and diversity of themes. She says:

“I try to read people’s emotions through my drawings. Everyone sees the painting from their own perspective and emotions, because I put different feelings into each piece.”

She points out that criticism has played a vital role in her artistic development. Her father, himself an artist, was her first critic. She used to show him every painting she finished, and he would give her detailed feedback such as “the lighting here is beautiful” or “the shadow in this part works well.” This early interaction with constructive criticism refined her talent and made her more open to feedback, helping her grow artistically and enrich her creative experience.

Women: A Central Theme in Her Art
Sara Al-Ayoubi believes that women possess immense power and give without limits. Many of her artworks express women’s struggles and resilience — such as her painting of a girl trying to survive drowning, symbolizing a woman fighting against pressure and choosing to save herself from destruction.

Another portrait depicts the renowned architect Zaha Hadid, summarizing her difficult life and struggle through her famous quote:

“The West fought me because I am Arab, and the Arabs fought me because I am a woman.”

This, Al-Ayoubi explains, reflects how the Middle East often fights women in every way, but such struggles only fuel their strength and determination to achieve freedom.

Art Exhibitions
Sara Al-Ayoubi participated in two art exhibitions at the Faculty of Architecture in Aleppo during 2018 and 2019, where her paintings received great admiration. Among them was a painting of a banknote that people loved so much they thought it was real.