Derwish Flowers: Violin, 2011 - Serge Hamad

Both an artist and an activist who works to expose human-rights abuses, Serge Hamad creates art that casts light on the human realities of censorship, imprisonment, and persecution. French-Algerian by birth, he was exposed to both Western and Eastern culture at a young age. "I feel that an artwork is successful when once injected into the communication channels it manages to awake a dialog," the artist says. "I use art to inform about sociopolitical situations."

Yet Serge Hamad also makes room in his oeuvre for more light-hearted fare, including his Relax series, which depicts sun-soaked moments on Venice Beach. Capturing moments that radiate calm enjoyment, he invites viewers to lose themselves in the image, just as the subjects are lost within the expanses of sea and sky. A veteran war photographer and documentarian for European TV channels, Serge Hamad has exhibited at the SOMArts Gallery in San Francisco, the Seyhoun Gallery, and other venues. His donated art was also auctioned at Christies London to endorse women's rights.Read Less