Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, Ayman Kaake travelled to Australia in 2011 in pursuit of studying visual arts. A telecommunications engineer and cinematography graduate, he left behind his parents and eleven siblings as he set off on his artistic journey. In 2014, his passion for cinema and photography eventually developed into a body of digital art works, creating images that delve into the dreamlike world of personal experiences and emotional turmoil. Although dealing with moving and serious emotions, Kaake’s works are almost hopeful, and he believes that “sometimes imagination is better than reality”.
In Lockdown_not_lockup Ayman tries, as a male artist, to shed light on the blackout that hides domestic violence around the world and especially violence against women in Arab countries and shows how important it is that men speak up about this issue. The image is framed in baroque mirror style as a reflection of the society and the duration of this issue that women have dealt with.