Ayham Mallisho

I am from Syria. I’ve been living in Istanbul since 2015. I left Syria because of the war. I studied theatre in Syria. In Turkey I studied graphic design. I’m a graphic designer and video editor now. Since coming here I’ve tried my best not to be identified as a foreigner. I can’t say I’ve had complete success. But living as a refugee somewhere raises questions about nationhood, borders, home and belonging. I’ve been searching for the solution for myself and other refugees – how can we belong, or do we even need to? I would never have thought about these things if I hadn’t left Syria. I’m seeking and hoping for a world without borders. I struggle with the idea of borders and how my movements are restricted and that I can’t move, even outside of Istanbul without permission. If we had a world without borders, maybe we can feel like we belong to the earth – not in a situation where my place is better than yours, where you have more rights than me. When I moved to another place I figured out how similar this other place is and it is not the borders that define who we are.