Using Visual Arts as a Tool to Tell Stories

John Halaka, MFA., has seen the light from some of the darkest corners of the world. A visual arts professor at USD, Halaka does more than just teach; he creates films, art, and oral history that depict the conditions of refugees and unravel the calamities that face the displaced populations primarily in Palestine, but also Lebanon, Jordan, and Beirut. Since around 16 years ago, Halaka’s travels to Palestine and other Middle Eastern areas have directly informed his visual artwork. He has closely developed connections with those in refugee camps which has allowed him to bring their stories of tragic happenings, displacement of refugees from their homes, and their struggles of disempowerment and dehumanization in these camps to a visual platform.