Hasko Hasko (b.1973, Aleppo, Syria) graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Damascus in 2000, specializing in oil painting. Reflecting on the evolution of Syrian art, he stated: “Now, with Syrian art fetching high prices on the international market, life is becoming easier and artists are gaining more respect. Before, we were considered crazy. That’s completely changing; now, we’re becoming respected like poets and directors.”
Since 2002, Hasko’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Syria and internationally, including in London, the United States, Iraq, Lebanon, the UAE, and Turkey. His contemporary paintings explore themes of nature, animals, and mythical figures inspired by Mesopotamian cultures, rendered primarily in acrylic and mixed media with subdued palettes and defined brushstrokes.
In 2013, Hasko fled the war in Syria to Turkey, and the following year crossed the Mediterranean by lifeboat to reach Europe. He eventually settled in Denmark, where he lives as a refugee. His story was featured in A Perilous Journey, a project documenting the experiences of three Syrian war refugees traveling to Europe. The project was launched at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, serialized as an animated comic, and published in The Guardian and Aftenposten on November 12, 2015.