Artist in the refugee camp of Qustepe, Kurdish region of Irak - 15/02/2016 - Iraq / Iraqi Kurdistan - Islam is a Syrian artist born in 1969 in Dirik (Kurdish region of Syria) and studied Art in Damascus. He has been living in the refugee camp of Qustepe, Kurdish region of Irak, for two years with his wife, two sons and two daughters. The artist altered his name to Richar, that means 4 ways, such as the 4 regions of Kurdistan, rojhilat, rojava, bakur and basur (North, South, East and West). His paintings reflect the suffering of the Kurdish people in Syria during Bashar al Assad regime and then the invasion of ISIS as well as the current living conditions in the refugee camps and the suffering of the families whose relatives passed away attempting to flee to Europe. When I arrived at his improvised atelier, Richar was painting a picture illustrating a family that died in fire in the refugee camp of Qustepe, possibly provoked by a candle since there is no electricity in the camp after 6.00 p.m. Four people lost their lives in this fire, leaving two orphan children. When questioned about his dream, he answered; I hope that this misery and suffering ends and I want to return to Rojava to live in peace with my family - Alexandre Afonso / Le Pictorium
