Lost Worlds

Detail from Mohamad Hafez’ miniature “Hiraeth” ā€“ a Welsh word meaning “homesickness tinged with grief, for a home to which you cannot return”. Photo by Kerstin Lange

Syrian architect Mohamad Hafez was at the Fleming Museum recently to speak about how as a college student in Iowa back in 2004, he began to build miniature scenes of his native city, Damascus, to work through his homesickness. I’ve been thinking about his work a lot, so I finally wrote a commentary about it.

Mohamad Hafez (courtesy of Mohamad Hafez)
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One thought on “Lost Worlds


  1. Haunting artwork. I imagine Damascus was beautiful before so much destruction. This was a thought provoking radio piece Kerstin. The experience of homesickness would change for sure, if you have no home left to go back too.

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