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About

Rama is a Syrian freelance illustrator and graphic designer whose work has been published in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Lebanon and Syria. She has worked with many publishing houses, NGOs and initiatives since 2019.

In 2024, the young-adult book she illustrated, Jaber’s Cookies, was shortlisted for the Etisalat Award — the biggest children’s publication award in the Arab world.

At the beginning of every project, Rama asks: what are the details that could be added to the text, and how can I best visually emphasise its idea? She believes in the ability of illustration to also say something.

Rama loves visual storytelling, and thinks it is a powerful tool to suggest ideas for change and to invite others to notice the enriching details of the everyday. Her work mostly opens questions on the themes of family, loss, home, homeland, change — and the little moments of reflection and serenity.

Rama Aldakkak resting her chin on her hand, her illustrations pinned to the wall behind her
Email
rama.aldakkak@gmail.com
Instagram
@rama.aldakkak
Residence
Homs, Syria · Istanbul, Türkiye
Areas of specialty
  • Editorial illustration
  • Children's book illustration
  • Book cover design & illustration
  • Graphic design

How I work

  1. 01 /

    Read

    I start with the text, reading closely for the details behind the words and the single idea each page is really about.

  2. 02 /

    Research

    Then I research the world of the story: its place, costume, light and small truths, so the drawing can be specific rather than generic.

  3. 03 /

    Draw

    Only then do I draw, testing metaphor, colour and composition until the image says something the words left unsaid.

A short timeline

  1. 2019Began freelancing with publishing houses, NGOs and initiatives.
  2. 2023First children's and chapter books, with Ihsan Organization and Roya Publishing House.
  3. 2024Shortlisted for the Etisalat Award; designed the Artists in Exile symposium poster.
  4. 2025Poetic Fragments, Lippenstift und Blut, and the Our Paths to Damascus exhibition.

Recognition

Shortlisted for the 2024 Etisalat Award for Young Adults — the biggest award in the field of children’s and young-adult publishing in the Arab world — for Jaber’s Cookies, Roya Publishing House.

Published in

  • Germany
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Türkiye
  • Lebanon
  • Syria

Worked with

  • Megaphone
  • Akres Publishing
  • Start Point

Alongside Naqsh Publishing House, Ihsan Organization, Roya Publishing House and Boğaziçi University, among others.

Browse the work