Mohamad Hafez is a Syrian interdisciplinary artist and architect, who is on a mission to humanize refugees through his artwork.
The Connecticut-based artist compiles scrap metal, paint, and found objects to build miniatures of homes, buildings, and landscapes left by refugees around the world.
His latest project, UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage, is built inside suitcases to commemorate the hardships and sufferings brought by the ravages of war. Each piece tells the stories of real people who have escaped those same rooms and buildings to make a new life in America. The stories are collected and curated by Ahmed Badr, an Iraqi refugee and Wesleyan University student.
Each multi-media installation, which takes several months to complete, features tiny living rooms, cars, fake plants and other miniatures. The dioramas are available for viewing at the DePauw University’s group show “Baggage Claim,” until December 9, 2018.
