I SAW THIS

An ambitious, multi-platform, multi-disciplinary art project by artist Tom de Freston in collaboration with Ali Souleman, Professor of Dramatic Literature at Oxford University, and documentary filmmaker Mark Jones.

“Ali lost his sight to a bomb blast in Syria in 1997 and we were attempting to translate his experiences of war and displacement into a collection of paintings. To make the unseen seen. Then, a month before the first lockdown, a fire gutted my studio, destroying twelve years’ worth of work in a matter of hours. Amongst the burnt debris, I had a moment of instinct: this would not be an end, but a new beginning.” 

The project resulted in a solo show at No20 arts, London (2022). A feature length documentary by Unmarked films is forthcoming and a publication on the project is due with Anomie press in 2023. Wreck (Granta, 2022) is a narrative non fiction book which in part tells the story of this collaboration.