By Muaz al-Hamad
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – A circular issued by the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University has stirred wide controversy inside the college, after stipulating a ban on the use of the “nude model” in graduation projects for students in the departments of sculpture, painting, printmaking, and engraving, justifying the move by the need to “align with moral and social values.”
The decision, which came suddenly, directly affected many students’ projects and ignited heated debates between those who oppose it outright and others who are more reserved.
The Sculpture Department was the most impacted, since its curriculum relies fundamentally on the study of the nude body as an artistic and aesthetic medium of expression.
Criticism and discontent
Ahmad Balam, a fourth-year student, told North Press that his graduation project revolves around the nude male body as a representation of the concept of “waiting.” He noted that he might find a way to cover the figure with clothing without compromising its main message, but stressed his solidarity with colleagues for whom such an adjustment is impossible.
“We live in an Arab culture that has to align today with Syrian society, while in Western, European culture, curricula are completely different. I think the Faculty of Fine Arts today is taking a middle ground. There is nothing unnatural about it, nothing wrong,” Balam said.
By contrast, his colleague Rima declared her total refusal to make any changes to her sculpture, which symbolizes women’s liberation from social constraints. Speaking to North Press, she affirmed that she is prepared to accept “a grade of zero” in exchange for holding on to her artistic message.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Touban, a student in the Painting Department, emphasized in an interview with North Press that nudity in his work carries no sexual implications. Rather, it symbolizes the relationship between authority and the people, depicting an obese naked man surrounded by a group of thin children. He likewise confirmed his refusal to abandon his idea.
Faculty members, for their part, adopted more cautious stances regarding the decision. Samir Rahmeh, professor in the Sculpture Department, told North Press that the text explicitly bans the “nude model,” but it could also be understood as a broader prohibition of nude art in all its forms.
He recalled that since 1974, the faculty has already banned the use of live nude models, but the latest circular places art itself under suspicion.
Rahmeh expressed his rejection of punishing students by giving them low grades, affirming that he and his colleagues will look for creative solutions that allow them to bypass the decision without undermining the essence of the artworks.
As students searched for explanations for the sudden directive, rumors spread within the faculty that the circular followed a complaint filed by the mother of a first-year student, a dentist, after her request to transfer her daughter from the Sculpture Department to the Graphics Department was rejected for failing to meet the required grade average.
According to students’ accounts, the mother turned to the Ministry of Higher Education, claiming that there were “immoral practices” within the Sculpture Department, prompting the ministry to respond and issue the circular.
Future of academic practice
This account was confirmed by the faculty’s dean, Fouad Dahdouh, who explained to North Press that he refused to transfer the student out of respect for university regulations, and that the mother chose to approach the ministry to reshape the reality of the faculty according to her personal convictions.
As for the future of the faculty, Dahdouh clarified that the circular does not affect classroom instruction, but is limited to the public graduation defense ceremony attended by students’ families from diverse social backgrounds.
He stressed his effort to maintain a balance between artistic freedom and respect for societal values, saying:
“The majority [of parents] requested that there be no nude models. So I responded—and based on the directives of the Deputy Minister the decision was made, in graduation projects, there should be no nude models,” he said.
“The decision is limited to graduation projects. It does not extend to all means of artistic expression in the faculty. We have many tools of expression at the Faculty of Fine Arts.”
Amid conflicting student and faculty positions, the decision remains controversial and raises broader questions about the future of academic art in Syria—whether it will move toward further restriction, or find new avenues of expression under the weight of social pressures.