Artist in Residence: Mamdouh Al Hariri

For Mamdouh Al Hariri, photography is both a means of expression and a life skill. This medium helped the young artist meet new people when, as a kid, he was adjusting to life in Orangeville after moving from war-torn Syria. “My past experiences inspired the ‘blurry’ photos in my collection,” he says of the approach he developed after sustaining an eye injury in Syria. “One of the permanent side effects was my drastically reduced eyesight, making everything seem blurry. The purpose of these photos is to show the viewer life through my eyes, my lens.” From street art to sports and fine art portraits, Mamdouh’s ability to capture vibrant energy in a still frame all but demands the viewer pause, drink in the moment, and look again. Find him at deadonimaging.com and on Instagram @scarlens.prod