In a recent interview with The Sandy Times, Syrian artist Ahmad Tallaa reflects on the experiences, memories, and artistic influences that have shaped his practice. Born and raised in Damascus within an artistic family, Tallaa developed a visual language deeply connected to memory, lived experience, and the traces that time leaves behind.
At the centre of his practice is the human face, which he approaches not simply as a portrait of an individual, but as a surface capable of carrying stories, emotions, and experiences. Through fragmented and softened features, layered materials, handmade books, works on paper, and sculpture, Tallaa explores how memory is preserved, transformed, and carried through the body and material.
The interview offers further insight into the ideas behind The Living Archive, his solo exhibition presented by Firetti Contemporary, and his ongoing exploration of the relationship between experience, identity, and remembrance.
