ARTIST BASEEM RAYYES | AKNEYE

Born in 1970 in Syria, Baseem Rayyes was destined to paint — not in the traditional sense, but as a way to rebuild the human spirit. Despite studying agriculture in Damascus, his calling was to bring art into the world in the most profound way: to connect people through the act of creation. In 2011, as Syria faced an uncertain future, Rayyes began A Painting on Every Wall, an initiative where he gave away his art to strangers as a gesture of unity. For him, art is more than a form of expression; it’s a way of pushing back against conflict, holding onto memory and healing what is broken. Each brushstroke in his work tells the story of a fractured homeland that refuses to be silenced, full of resilience and the soft strength of beauty.