The Syrian Artists Syndicate grants the artist Ghaffan Ghannoum an honorary membership.

The Syrian Artists Syndicate decided in its extraordinary session on May 29, 2025, to grant Syrian artist and director Ghaffan Ghannoum an honorary membership in the syndicate, in recognition of his distinguished artistic career and steadfast national stance towards the issues of the Syrian people.

The syndicate's decision stated that this honor comes from its keenness to support creative individuals who have contributed to enriching the Syrian cultural scene and stood by the nation in its darkest times. Ghannoum responded by saying: "We are of them, for them, and work for them."

Artist Ghaffan Ghannoum expressed his gratitude in a post on his personal Facebook page, saying: "Thank you to the Artists Syndicate, represented by Captain Mazen Nattour, for granting me an honorary membership. We hope to live up to people's expectations. If we fall short, we seek forgiveness, and if we succeed, it is our duty. Many others deserve this appreciation."

He continued by thanking everyone involved in this honor, remembering the war victims and the Syrian suffering: "Thanks to all who contributed to this joy, thanks to the revolutionaries, the souls of the martyrs, their families, and the imminent relief for those exhausted by poverty, exile, or oppression."

He also emphasized that true art is not measured by awards, but by its connection to the values of justice and freedom: "True art is not measured by the number of awards, but by its proximity to pain, truth, and freedom."

He concluded his speech by calling for the honoring of the forgotten, saying: "For the mothers of martyrs and their fathers, for the afflicted not yet captured by our lenses, for nameless heroes, for a journalist standing under bombardment documenting the truth, and for a photographer not given time to wipe his tears for a friend who was martyred before him."

Ghannoum was born in Baba Amr neighborhood in Homs in 1976, and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Moldova in 2006, specializing in film directing. He returned to Syria to start his artistic career, but his involvement in the Syrian revolution changed his path, documenting his city's suffering through works like "Portrait of a Rebel City," shedding light on the tragedy of Al-Qusayr city.

After leaving to Finland in 2014, he continued his artistic and political work, directing his documentary "The Bad Son," which won international awards in Brazil and Finland, addressing the history of repression in Syria from the Ba'ath coup in 1963 to the 2011 revolution.

With the changing situation in Syria, Ghannoum recently returned, carrying a rich artistic experience and a message that remains aligned with the people and their issues.