Heba Akkad was born in Damascus, Syria in 1981, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University in 2006, and now lives and works in Gothenburg, Sweden. Akkad’s paintings are soulful, and with their light, bright colour palette are reminiscent of Matisse and the other Fauves. In her dreamlike images, she works to detangle feelings of loss and death, and begin to create vivid pieces of art bridging her past, present, and future. During the Syrian uprisings Akkad stopped painting: “I cared about what was happening around me, so I went to be with the people.” She obtained the first award of the Young Artists competition under the patronage of Petro Canada Company and in 2004 she started teaching drawing to primary school children. Now, alongside her creative practice, she is a volunteer with the Association of Friends of the Environment, and develops art experiences for children with special educational needs.