In an interview with Eyas Miqdad, Mohamad Al Roumi reflects on his artistic journey: “Painting requires stability and long-term experience. I began with acrylics and pastels, materials that are easy to work with, but my path shifted when I was asked to photograph a series of sites, antiquities, and archaeological objects…”
Born in Aleppo in 1945, Al Roumi studied Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, graduating in 1972. His drawing skills led him to collaborate with archaeological expeditions in Syria, which introduced him to the world of photography. In the 1970s, he lectured on archaeological excavation methods at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Damascus. His deep passion for Syria's landscape and cultural heritage inspired him to focus on both the terrain and Syrian folk traditions. This interest resulted in a vast collection of photographs and several documentaries, including “Blue Gray” (2000) and films on Syrian folk crafts like silk fabric manufacturing, handmade glass, and the waterwheels of Al-Jazari in Damascus.
In 2014, Al Roumi founded the “Syrian Cultural Caravan” in France, an initiative aimed at introducing Syrian culture to the French public. Throughout his career, he has photographed for UNESCO, UNICEF, the Arab World Institute, the Louvre Museum, the Louvre School, Syria’s Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism, the French Institute of Arab Studies in Damascus (IFEAD), and the German Archaeological Institute. Since 1980, he has held numerous solo exhibitions in cities including Damascus, Arles, Paris, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Berlin.