**Youmna Barhoum** is a Syrian sculptor whose practice explores the expressive and poetic possibilities of the human body through a wide range of materials. She graduated in Sculpture from the Institute of Applied Arts in Damascus in 2018, and has since developed her artistic practice through continuous experimentation with form, technique, and material.

The female figure occupies a central place in Barhoum’s work. Rather than treating the body as a purely anatomical subject, she transforms it into a language of movement, emotion, softness, and inner experience. Her sculptures often suggest flowing forms and organic contours, creating a sense of lightness and movement even when working with heavy and resistant materials.

Barhoum has worked with ceramics, wood, stone, bronze, and basalt, approaching each material as an opportunity for discovery. A recurring concern in her practice is the contrast between the physical character of the material and the delicacy of the form she creates. In her basalt sculptures, for example, she deliberately transforms the inherent hardness and roughness of the volcanic stone into forms that convey softness and grace.

Her work has been presented in exhibitions and artistic events in Damascus, including the *Basalt 1* and *Wood 1* group exhibitions at Zawaya Gallery, where she participated alongside artists from different generations of Syrian sculpture. She has also received recognition in sculpture competitions, including second prize in the sculpture category at a portrait competition in Damascus.

Today, Youmna Barhoum continues to develop a distinctive sculptural language in which material, movement, and the human body come together to create forms that balance strength with tenderness and physical presence with emotional expression.