Interview with Nizar Ali Badr

Nizar Ali Badr works on a rocky beach near his home in Lattakia, Syria. He bends down to gather smooth pebbles to use in his art. He says “I am a Syrian sculptor from Ugarit; my ancestors left a signature in my genes to create and share my work with honesty and modesty.” Nizar’s art is striking and unusual. Arranging rocks on the ground or on a rectangle of plywood, he creates images that touch the heart.

When I first spotted his art on Facebook, I was struck by the fact that the image showed deep emotion, yet it was simply made of rocks. How did he do that? Intrigued, I looked at his Facebook page and found many more images. As the author of over thirty books for children, I felt strongly that his art needed to be shared in a picturebook. I had never seen rocks used as art media in a children’s book. When I put several of his images in a row, I felt that they told a story—A story of love, of war, of peace, of despair, and of hope. I wrote the words that I felt conveyed his message.

Then I needed his permission to use his art in a book. I tried contacting him but to no avail. Nizar lives in war-torn Syria without electricity and only speaks Arabic. I didn’t even know if he still lived there or had left his country. A teacher in Australia translated my request for me. Finally, after three months of trying to make contact, I enlisted the help of an IBBY friend in Pakistan. Syeda Basarat Kazim miraculously managed to contact Nizar. Nizar’s friend Saji, also living in Lattakia, translated my emails, acting as go-between, making our cooperation possible.

Did Nizar still have photos of his art? Were they of a high enough resolution for a book? The two men in Syria and I, at home on Canada’s west coast, would “meet” late at night for “a cup of tea” and chat about making a book. Nizar was excited. But he added, “Glue has become far too expensive nowadays, so each time I create a stone sculpture, I have to destroy it.” He compares his art to that of Buddhist sand mandalas—neither is permanent. Once I found Orca Book Publishers keen to produce this book, Nizar shared photos of his art, sometimes recreating images that needed to be photographed in a higher resolution.

Even though we have never met, Nizar Ali Badr and I want to share the same message with children around the world. Nizar says, “My human message is the spreading of happiness and love. Through my creations, one can hear the stones saying, ‘Stop killing human beings. Stop destruction. Do not abandon your humanity!’”

Having grown up shortly after WWII in The Netherlands, I am familiar with stories of falling bombs, of house raids and men being taken away from their families. I have heard my parents talk about relatives who never came back, about war and hunger. The images today on the evening news of what is happening in Syria are echoes of what happened in Holland so long ago, of what happened in Vietnam, in Afghanistan, and of what will happen elsewhere in the future. By showing children that all people want is to live safely in peace—regardless of race, religion, or culture—perhaps one day we can. As John Lennon said, “Imagine!”

Despite living in a war torn country and in poverty, Nizar Ali Badr is happy that his art is a reflection of hope and peace to many. He says, “Although I am living in great poverty as a result of the war, I am a wealthy man, rich of my artistic creations.”

With thanks to Creative Havens Syrian Artists.