All images © Mohamad Hafez, shared with permission

Formerly a corporate architect, New Haven-based artist Mohamad Hafez (previously) builds intricate sculptures that evoke his home country of Syria. The miniature scenes feature gilded furniture, ornate motifs, and the architectural details of the Middle East, which the artist explores in a recent interview supported by Colossal Members.

If you’re raised and educated outside of the region, nobody is going to teach you about your cultural roots, that you come from something very precious and you should be proud and willing, at least, to rebuild and carry the baton. It goes along with my focus on education and rebuilding the generations. Education about that art and culture and architectural wealth is a main goal for me.

In a conversation with Colossal contributor Laura Staugaitis, Hafez reflects on his time at the upper echelon of luxury design and shares why working with young people is the key to building a better future.

• Three Pillars of Self-Determination: Autonomy, Competence, and Community
• Join Pratt SCPS For a Series of Online Floral Design Workshops