Drawing Al-Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp
This drawing depicts, from above, the Al-Zaatari Syrian refugee camp in neighbouring Jordan, as of May 2013. Each square drawn is not a symbol: it is a tent. Drawing the camp by hand was important for many reasons: each line looks the way it is from years of individual layered knowledge, where one’s identity is embedded subconsciously into an authentic work, and using two different weighted pencils created a visually pleasing depth.
Drawing by hand took a long time and allowed for reflection on how each square is a displaced family’s home; as a former Syrian refugee, this topic is close to my heart. The use of the site-drawing technique urgently delivered the message of hardship; it sensitively depicted an urban landscape born out of stress and dislocation, and the choice of medium supported how hand drawing and architecture can convey a message while also being delightful and rich.
The drawing was completed for the Sinclair-Nelson Drawing Scholarship, established by the Australian Institute of Architecture in Melbourne, Australia, in 2024. It won first prize, and allowed me to visit and be endlessly inspired by Drawing Matter in London, solidifying my appreciation for hand drawing in architecture.
Mada Aldeeb is a recent graduate in Architecture from RMIT University, Melbourne.
Mada migrated to Australia with her family in 2014 to escape the war in Syria.
