Paşa Imrek // Turkey
Venue - State Art Gallery, Hyderabad
Date - 20 Nov 2025 - 04 Jan 2026 / 11 AM - 6 PM
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has displaced millions of people and created one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our era. Destroyed cities, tent camps along the borders, and waves of forced migration have reshaped not only the destiny of one people but also the entire sociological fabric of the region. My photographic practice is built on bearing witness to this rupture—transforming the traces of war, displacement, and survival into visual documents.
For years, I have worked along the Syrian border and in refugee camps, photographing the daily struggles of displaced families, the silent testimony of ruined cities, and the journeys of those attempting to return home. This project does not only record the devastation of war, but also aims to reveal resilience, the fragile bond with memory, and the enduring hope of return.
The work began on the Turkish side of the border, where I documented refugees crossing into Turkey, the barbed and mined zones dividing the two countries, and the makeshift lives within tent camps. Later, I photographed the destruction of Kobani and, following the fall of the Assad regime in certain areas, the shattered neighborhoods of Damascus.
What emerges is not only the evidence of violence and ruin, but also the human condition in moments of reconstruction. In cities deeply scarred by conflict, families returning to face their demolished homes encounter profound challenges that go beyond physical rebuilding. These scenes reveal the psychological weight of war—how memory, loss, and survival intertwine.
The Time of Rupture aspires to serve as a testimony: to the devastation of war, to the endurance of displaced communities, and to the fragile yet persistent hope for renewal.
