The massacre that took place in Houla in May 2012 was a turning point in the life of Damascene cartoonist Omran Faour. After the massacre, Omran rushed to draw caricatures expressing the pain that his words had failed to express since the start of Syria’s bloody uprising.

He began publishing his paintings on Facebook using the pseudonym "Omranovi.” His paintings were overwhelmed by colors such as red and black, indicating pain, loss and death. In some of his paintings, Omran included oxymorons such as pain and hope, and life and death. His style combines the mechanisms of the art of caricature and symbolic formation.

Faour is deeply invested in the future of the revolution and Syria. His art entails criticisms of some of the faults of the revolution, such as sectarianism and division. He believes this critique is a basic building block of a better future for all Syrians.

In an interview with Al-Hayat newspaper on Aug. 25, 2012, Faour commented on the violation of people’s rights to information access and the freedom of opinion and expression. “Dictatorship is a blackout,” he said. “If a dictator did not seek to block his people’s access to news and information, he would not be a tyrant. Freedom is clear.”

Omran’s works on Facebook.