Amid the many challenges Syrian women face, balancing integration in society with securing an additional source of income to cope with soaring living costs such as rent and daily expenses, Iman al-Khatib turned to handicrafts. She began producing artistic pieces known as concrete art from her home to support her husband and family.
Over the years of war, many Syrian women have managed to succeed in various home-based businesses despite displacement, loss of property, and livelihoods. The expansion of social media offered them a gateway to promote and market their work to wider audiences.
What is “concrete art”?
Iman explained to Enab Baladi that “concrete art” refers to decorative pieces of various shapes and sizes, made by mixing specific ratios of materials such as cement powder, white cement, fine sand, marble dust, and coloring, combined with water and poured into silicone molds.
Once hardened, the pieces are removed from the molds and coated with varnish for shine and durability. A vibrating device is often used to remove bubbles, ensuring the product is sturdy and less prone to breakage.
Iman, displaced from Kafranbel in southern Idlib countryside, turned to concrete art after the regime’s fall, finding a demand for it in the markets. With her husband earning no more than $250 as an accountant in Idlib and rent doubling from $100 to $200, her work became a necessity.
Adla al-Hussein, displaced from Aleppo and now in Idlib, said her motivation was different: she pursued concrete art out of passion for crafts, starting with recycling old, discarded items into decorative pieces. She learned through YouTube tutorials, refining her skills through trial and error. For her, the joy lies in the creative process: “What is made with love is always more beautiful.”
Affordable prices, marketing is key
The price of concrete pieces depends on size, accessories, and designs, but overall they are affordable and popular as gifts. Compared to resin art, costs are relatively low, though a variety of molds are needed to satisfy customer tastes. Prices for molds range from $3 for small ones up to $25.
Hala Obeid, who turned to concrete art to pay for her university studies, noted that summer brings more demand due to weddings, births, and school graduations, with customers often requesting customized pieces inscribed with dates to mark special occasions.
Social media remains the primary tool for marketing, as Hala stressed that income depends heavily on good promotion and professional photography to highlight the beauty of each piece. Adla, on the other hand, relies on her personal network of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and despite not having a dedicated page, she finds demand satisfactory.
Not without challenges
Molds often get damaged, forcing women to order replacements from Turkey, which can take weeks to arrive. Space constraints also present problems, as the work requires areas away from children to avoid breakage, something not all families can provide.
Fatima al-Zidan, a trainer in women’s empowerment and business development, observed a growing trend among women to take up concrete art as a home-based business that combines “creativity and profit.”
She advised women to focus on product quality, unique designs, and careful cost calculation to avoid losses, stressing that accurate financial planning is key to sustainability. She also emphasized the importance of marketing via social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, given their low cost and wide reach.
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