Since anti-government protests in 2011 spiraled into a full-blown war between Syrian rebels, artists have been expressing the affects of the violence on the country both physically and mentally. Art can come in many forms. The crisis in Syria can be depicted through images, paintings, and even architectural models. There are many other countries that contribute to the 68.5 million people that have had to flee their homes but Syria is the country that accounts for the most refugees in the world today.

Above are two models created by Muhamad Hafez. On the left is Why Have You Forsaken Us?! and on the right is Hiraeth. Muhamad Hafez is a Syrian artist and architect who was born in Damascus in 1984. In 2004, Hafez’s parents sent him to the United States for college at Iowa State University. He went there to study architecture but didn’t realize until her got there that he wouldn’t be able to return to Syria due to the single-entry student visa he received. As a result, Hafez began assembling structures that he remembered from Damascus. The only time the artist was able to return back home was in 2011 when the destruction began in Syria. After returning to the United States Hafez began building 3-D replicas of what he saw in his time back home. In these models, he was able to create great detail with some of the most random objects. He would use just any object he found lying around along with paint, plaster, and fabric. The details Hafez is able to include in his models allows you to almost take a step inside what life might be like in Syria. In an interview with the Times, Hafez explains that he is able to stay composed by letting “the models do the yelling for me.” In some of his pieces, Hafez includes recordings of children playing in the streets, pigeons cooing, old men muttering as they play cards, and merchants crying out to people in passing. The fact that there are audio recordings in his models but no people helps to reflect the distress the people of Syria are feeling.

Artists like Muhamad Hafez use their artwork to show the physical destruction of their hometowns as well as to describe a longing for a home to which one cannot return. Artwork is a powerful way for people to convey the struggles, experiences and hope of refugees. It’s also a way for people to express how big of deal these refugee crises really are. Below are some powerful images that depict some of the struggles people are faced with in Syria.