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(CNN) -- As bloody unrest has raged around him, artist OussamaDiab has been formulating his own response to Syria's civil war --through art.

Diab, a 35-year-old painter born of Palestinian parents in Damascusand still living in Syria's capital, has a new exhibition of works he hascreated this year.

His exhibition "In the Name of Freedom" opened September 17 inDubai. Diab says he was unable to get a visa to travel to the UnitedArab Emirates, so he had to remain in Syria.

In a telephone interview Diab said his new works "are inspired bywhat's going on across the Arab world, politics is in everything."

"My artwork reflects not only what is happening in Syria but what hashappened in all the Arab world. One of the artist's duties is to followthe problems, the worries, the suffering and present it in his work.

"The fact of living inside the situation makes me able toshow it better. I can talk about all the suffering that hashappened here and also on the other side of the world,"he added.

Diab said he had lost someone close to him in the conflictthat has divided Syria since March 2011, but would notgive any more details.

"I am always living in worry and I have fears living here," he said."Without referring to who is doing it, all the bloodshed is not easy tohandle, so it affects your mood."

While Diab's work does not directly reference to the civil war in Syria,

Part of complete coverage on

Inside the Middle East

Syrian pop artist depicts suffering with'black comedy'By Catriona Davies, CNNSeptember 27, 2012 -- Updated 1547 GMT (2347 HKT)

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Oussama Diab is a Palestinianartist living in Damascus

His exhibition "In The Name ofFreedom" opened this week inDubai

Paintings were all created inSyria during the civil war

I am always livingin worry and Ihave fears livinghere.Oussama Diab, artist

As bloody unrest has ragedaround him, artist OussamaDiab has been formulating hisown response to Syria's civilwar -- through art.

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the themes of war and dreams of a better future are featured in hispictures.

One shows a child with a gun superimposed over a barcode. He saidit showed how children are the victims of those who deal in weaponsfor their own ends.

Another work shows a woman with her head replaced by balloons,which Diab said represented the nice ideas in her head.

Diab has been represented by Ayyam Gallery, which has branches inDamascus, Dubai and Beirut since 2007 when he was one of 10winners of a competition to find emerging artists. His first solo showwas in 2009.

Diab's work is described by the gallery as pop art and graffiti-inspiredpaintings against nondescript backgrounds, giving a symbolicinterpretation of current events.

Also on Inside the Middle East: Syrian artists fight Assad regime withsatire

Among the works is "Human Being" showing a bananawith nails driven into it. Diab said the banana represents aperson suffering from the pain of the nails. Another workshows an altered version of Michaelangelo's "Pieta"sculpture in which Jesus Christ wears a keffiyeh, intendedto show him as a Palestinian martyr.

"Like Charlie Chaplain, I'm representing a black comedyso it makes you smile and it gives you grief at the sametime," Diab said of his work.

Much of his work reflects his identity as a Palestinian whohas never been to his homeland.

"My work is based on the idea of country," he said. "All countriesaround the world should be sacred. I hate the situation in Syriabecause Syria should be sacred as well. I don't want the country tobe ruined.

"Because I live without a country, it makes me feel closer to peoplewho are suffering here. I feel their suffering and it affects me too. Itmakes me closer to understanding their pain."

Diab's said he feels his identity split between his Palestinian heritageand his parents' adopted country.

"I never had the chance to live in Palestine, so I feel like the countryis an illusion," he said. "My parents didn't come to a strange country,but one where they could speak the same language. The idea ofcountry is sacred to me. Syria is my second country, but I would loveto be in my other country."

Also on Inside the Middle East: Images of Tahrir: Egypt'srevolutionary art

Diab visited Dubai for the opening of the Ayyam Gallery a few yearsago, but said he has not been able to get a visa to visit since.

Sally Othman, gallery manager of Ayyam Damascus, said artists inthe city were continuing to work during the unrest, but there are fewerexhibitions.

"The gallery is running as normal because we have our artists basedhere, but as far as exhibitions, it's hard these days because peopleare not going out," she said. "We had two workshops with four actorsworking live in the gallery before Ramadan and we are going to dosomething similar soon."

"In the Name of Freedom" runs at Ayyam Gallery, DIFC, Dubai, untilOctober 30.

Follow the Inside the Middle East team on Twitter: Presenter Rima

One of the artist'sduties is to followthe problems, theworries, thesuffering andpresent it in hisworkOussama Diab, artist

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Syrian pop artist depictssuffering with 'blackcomedy' - CNN.comBy Catriona Davies, CNNSeptember 27, 2012 -- Updated 1547GMT (2347 HKT) CNN.com

(CNN) -- As bloody unrest has ragedaround him, artist Oussama Diab hasbeen formulating his own response toSyria's civil war -- through art.

Diab, a 35-year-old painter born ofPalestinian parents in Damascus and stillliving in Syria's capital, has a newexhibition of works he has created thisyear.

His exhibition "In the Name of Freedom"opened September 17 in Dubai. Diab sayshe was unable to get a visa to travel to theUnited Arab Emirates, so he had toremain in Syria.

In a telephone interview Diab said hisnew works "are inspired by what's goingon across the Arab world, politics is ineverything."

"My artwork reflects not only what ishappening in Syria but what hashappened in all the Arab world. One ofthe artist's duties is to follow theproblems, the worries, the suffering andpresent it in his work.

"The fact of living inside the situation

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