Summer 2015

The painting on this issue’s cover, entitled Old Damascus, is by Syrian artist Emad Hemede, known as Jano. His focus on religious monuments and Syrian architecture dates back to 2007. “I felt we were living in a precarious equilibrium: being all from different religions, peacefully living together,” Jano told us. “I wanted to convey a message that we must take care of this precious coexistence.” Jano left Syria in 2011 to share his art with people around the world, and has not been able to return to his country since. “My future work will describe my dream of the Syrian future, which is nothing but its beautiful past,” he wrote in an e-mail.