Eighteen-year-old Marah Khaled Al-Za'anin has possessed a talent for drawing since childhood, before the war changed the course of her life. When the war broke out, she didn't abandon her art; instead, she drew closer to it, focusing intensely on developing her talent as a personal refuge from reality.
Marah now lives in a school that has been converted into a shelter, where there is no suitable environment for drawing. Quiet is rare, space is limited, and privacy is almost nonexistent. But the biggest challenge lies in the lack of art supplies. Art materials are not readily available, and even when they are, finding the right sizes and quality is extremely difficult.
So she waits for nightfall.
When silence descends and everyone else falls asleep, Marah finds her only time to draw. In those late hours, under dim light, she picks up her pencil, trying to create moments of beauty amidst a harsh reality, and to keep her artistic voice alive despite everything. 🎨 @marahza91
January 28, 2026
Photography: Ahmed Younes 
