A photographer whose work lies in the liminal space between art, social activism and journalism, Muzaffar Salman talks about his well-known series: “Even though I spent the last year covering the war in Aleppo for Reuters, I still find it impossible to consider myself, properly speaking, a war reporter. In the middle of a war scene, my lens stalks beauty, ready to capture details and moments of grace. The magnificent scenes are real and are so beyond the ravages of war. They nourish me with spiritual energy and help me keep going. As I covered the conflict on the front lines, I searched for hope among the sadness. "
Born in Homs, Muzaffar Salman (1976) obtained his diploma in photography from the International Specialist Centre in Homs in 2003. Influenced by his father’s interest in photography, Salman began pursuing his own career in the medium as a teen after his father’s death and worked at the newspaper Al Watan until the start of the uprising. During 2011–2013, and before his exile, he freelanced for the Associated Press and Reuters. Apart from journalistic work, Salman’s photography embodies an artistic sensitivity where certain moments of reflection and grace prevail amid turbulence.
Salman published his photography book, My Fingers Point Only at Butterflies, in 2011. He has shown his work at solo and group exhibitions in Syria, France, the US, Denmark, Germany and Canada and has participated in talks about his work at venues such as the Pompidou Centre. His work has been acquired by private and public collections such as the British Museum.