From Ash: Art, Memory, and Resilience

A one-night event bringing artwork, film, and music together to tell stories from Swaida

Sometimes the only thing that remains after destruction is ash.

On March 27, the Black Basalt Foundation (BBF) will host ASH, a one-night event bringing together artwork, film, and live music reflecting on loss, resilience, and memory.

The event will take place at Eden Events in St. Charles, Illinois, bringing together artists, neighbors, and the wider public for an evening centered on remembrance and cultural expression.

The event has also brought together a community of Chicago-based artists of Druze and Syrian heritage, joined by supporters and collaborators from around the world who believe in the role of art in preserving memory and responding to tragedy.

At the center of the evening are works by Syrian artist Yarob Nassif, created using ash gathered from locations in Swaida, Syria, where attacks on Druze communities destroyed homes, places of worship, and community spaces and resulted in thousands of deaths, events that have been described in international reporting and UN briefings as a massacre.

These works arrived in Chicago carrying the weight of the pain and memory of Swaida.

Rather than allowing those remnants to disappear, Nassif transformed the ash into artworks that preserve memory and reflect resilience.

The Story Behind the Works

Each piece carries the weight of the place where it began.

Alongside the artworks, visitors will see images and documentation from the locations where the ash was collected. Some works are accompanied by short films recorded by the artist at those sites, while others include visual materials that document the places and stories connected to the works.

The evening will begin with a short introductory film about Swaida, providing context about the communities and events connected to the artworks.

Together, the artworks and accompanying materials invite viewers to reflect not only on what was lost, but also on what remains — memory, place, and the voices of the people who lived through these events.

Art and Music in Conversation

The evening will also include a live performance by award-winning oud musician Issam Rafea, whose music will accompany the event and create a shared moment of reflection.

For the artists involved, creativity becomes a way to respond to tragedy without replicating the violence that caused it.

“Ash is what remains after everything else is gone,” said Samer Khwaiss, artist and founder of the Black Basalt Foundation. “In our work, it marks a beginning... not an end. We turn it into memory, into art, into a voice... one that honors the lives we lost and stands for resistance, dignity, and the refusal to be erased.”

The Beginning of a Larger Initiative

While the event highlights the work of Yarob Nassif, ASH represents one voice within a broader initiative.

The Black Basalt Foundation was created as a platform connecting cultural memory, humanitarian support, education, and responsible technology, with the goal of strengthening resilience in communities affected by conflict or instability.

The work begins in Swaida, but the vision extends beyond a single place. Through art, storytelling, and collaboration, the foundation seeks to create platforms where communities can preserve memory, share their stories, and participate in shaping their own future.

The ASH event represents the first public step in that journey.

Future initiatives will expand storytelling, cultural documentation, humanitarian support, and educational programs connected to the communities whose stories form the foundation of this work.

Supporting the Project

The ASH event will also function as a fundraising platform supporting humanitarian initiatives connected to Swaida.

During the event, visitors can participate in online bidding for limited-edition prints of the artworks. Additional (limited) prints will also be available through the Black Basalt online store following the event for those who wish to support the initiative.

The original artworks will not be sold during this event. They will continue traveling as part of a planned series of exhibitions and cultural events across the United States and internationally, after which the original works may be offered for sale.

Proceeds from print sales and future exhibitions will support the foundation’s ongoing initiatives and future programs.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will also be live-streamed.

Because the venue space is limited, attendance is capped at approximately 120 guests, and interested attendees are asked to RSVP in advance to [email protected].

Remembering Through Art

For many people connected to Swaida, the connection to the land where they were born remains deeply personal.

Art can become one way of holding that connection, remembering the places, the people, and the stories that shaped it.

Through ASH, the Black Basalt Foundation hopes to create a space where memory is preserved, stories are shared, and creativity becomes a response to darkness.

This event is only the beginning.