We were delighted that the artists who had the Trestle residencies recently each contributed a painting to the Seeking Sanctuary event.  This is part of the Being Human Festival.  Below you can see the beautiful paintings and the artists' moving statements, with thanks to Rhian Smith at Trestle for her design work.

We are delighted to have partnered with Trestle Arts Base in St Albans for the first of two residencies, with beautiful paintings by Enas Barakat and Bahar Izadi.

You can read more about the exhibition, which runs from 15th January to 7 April at www.trestle.org.uk/whats-on/2025/1/7/echoes-of-blossom-an-exhibition-by-young-artists-from-syria-and-iran 

​You can also buy any of the paintings from the webshop at www.trestle.org.uk/trestle-exhibition-shop

See some of Enas and Bahar's beautiful paintings below:

​You will remember Ghazal from our Refugee Stories and here she is with volunteer Joyce at last year's AGM. 

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Ghazal and her husband now have Leave to Remain in the UK, and she is working, going to college and looking to sell her paintings, some of which you can see below.

We are delighted that Ghazal is also currently showing her work at Trestle Arts Base in the Patterns of Nature exhibition and have added her beautiful paintings to the slideshow below:

We have featured this talented artist's heart rending story of how he had to leave his home country at Fleeing to safety - HERTS WELCOMES REFUGEES 
​Below you can see a slideshow of his amazing work.
The artist just sent another beautiful painting of a chameleon which we have added to the slideshow below.

​Talented artist, known as SamShow, together with her husband, has been given Leave to Remain and now needs to find accommodation and work.   Here she explains the meaning of this beautiful painting:

“The name of the painting is The Moment of Meeting…in Farsi Lahzeye didar (لحظه دیدار)
I drew this painting when I missed my mother and father very much and I imagined myself in a moment when I met them again after a long time and although the world around us is still cold and icy, our presence being together and the moment we met, made our being warm and golden.”

You can see SamShow working on this painting on her Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/sam.show.art and below, along with some other examples of her work.
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This is so moving.  Thank you SamShow.  We are privileged to hear the meaning behind this painting and wish you both all the very best for your new life in the UK.

You may have seen this painting in the Visions of Home display but we are pleased to feature it here during Refugee Week along with the explanation of its meaning (from right to left) from the Artist:

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"The tree represents my family and my harsh past, and the knot in the tree symbolizes how complicated my life was, living in an environment that did not accept my sexuality.
 
The goddess Hathor represents that, despite the harshness of the society I lived in, I had beautiful memories with family and friends, and I always believed that someone cared for me, whether visibly or invisibly.
 
The god of the dead Anubis represents the life of injustice and the bleak fate faced by every gay person living in a society which discriminates against them.
 
The gate symbolizes the path I took to escape my old life for a new life that grants me all my rights, providing me with a safe life where I am treated as a human being. 
 
The Greek god standing above the gate symbolizes the person who helped me understand my sexuality and the distinctive rainbow coloured man holding the victory torch in the background, represents my life partner, with whom I felt safe.
 
The London Eye symbolizes that I started to see my value in this new country where I live and can have an active role in this society that does not discriminate against a person based on their sexual orientation and is protected by law. 
 
London Bridge signifies the big step I took in my life to cross from a life full of tension and anxiety to a prosperous life ahead, filled with optimism and hope.
 
Big Ben symbolizes strength and continuity in British history. Its chimes are considered a symbol of resilience and strength during national crises. It is also a symbol of democracy and parliamentary traditions in Britain. Additionally, it evokes a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity for everyone who hears its chimes. The time, 10:45 PM, marks my arrival in Britain.
 
The Tower of London represents the hotel where I currently live which represents a safe place for me during my journey of seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
 
The flying angel in the sky represents the Herts Welcome Refugees charity that has been helping me in Britain since I applied for asylum. The HWR volunteers never made me feel like a stranger; they treated me as part of the family. The magical dust coming out of the cloth bag symbolizes their magical touch in providing everything they have done to help me obtain asylum in Britain.
 
The statue standing above the fountain represents the strength and determination of refugees in rebuilding their lives in a new country.
 
The boat represents my life during the asylum process, where I ride it to lead me towards safety (asylum), and below it is the River Thames. I chose the river as the path of my journey when applying for asylum because I am afraid of water, especially deep water. Therefore, I live in constant psychological anxiety, fearing that the boat might sink (my asylum request might be rejected), and I might be sent back to Egypt.
 
The person with his hands tied is me, as I am restricted until I can obtain refugee status in Britain. The white-bearded person steering the boat represents the Home Office, which is responsible for accepting or rejecting my asylum application, and the face is blurred, symbolizing that my future is still unknown during the asylum period.
 
The clouds in the background with the sun behind them, signify that my journey is filled with many psychological disturbances (the clouds), but behind them, there is a bright future awaiting me (the sun) if my asylum request is accepted in the United Kingdom."

Since the Artist painted the picture and wrote this explanation, we are delighted to report that his asylum claim has been successful and we wish him well for the future.

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