Sons of the Sun

Sons of the Sun emerged from three years of friendship with a group of young Syrians living in South Turkey. Limited by their legal status as refugees, we created an art project to reclaim their stories, identities, and dreams.

During my three years living in Southern Turkey, the Syrian youth became my community. It was there that I met Mustafa, Sondos, Duah, Michael, and Hamza, and learned their similar stories of being forced to flee their homes in Syria as teenagers and slowly build new lives in Turkey.

Like them, thousands of young Syrian refugees in Turkey have been facing the challenges that come with growing up in a country that, despite not being too far from their motherland, still requires learning a new language and adapting to a different cultural and bureaucratic system. Not least, the temporary protection provided to Syrian nationals by the Government of Turkey is not without its limitations, often reducing their possibilities of studying, working, and moving across cities and thus hindering their future.  

Together, we started a collaborative project where art and photography pave the way for them to reclaim personal stories, life experiences, and identities. Through this project, we are creating a new reality - one where borders, legal statuses, and definitions give way to memories, dreams, and hope.