Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has offered a Serbian passport to a 10-year-old Afghan refugee famous for his artistic talent. The boy previously helped raise money for a Serbian cancer patient.
10-year-old Nouri posing with his drawing of Angela MerkelImage: picture-alliance/Pixsell/S. Ilic
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Afghan refugee gains celebrity status as 'Little Picasso' in Serbia
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has offered Serbian passport to "Little Picasso," a 10-year-old Afghan refugee famous for his artistic talent. The boy previously helped raise money for a Serbian cancer patient.
Image: picture-alliance/PIXSELL/S. Ilic
Rising star
Afghan refugee Farhad Nouri's skillful drawings of famous people, like this portrait of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have made him a local celebrity in Serbia. The 10-year-old has been living with his family at a refugee camp near the Serbian capital of Belgrade for the last eight months after attempts to reach Western Europe failed.
Image: Imago/Pixsell
Drawing the master
With only a picture on a smartphone for reference, Farhad sketches and shades his subjects with exceptional detail. Upon his arrival in Serbia, he joined art classes organized by aid groups. His talent was quickly recognized and he soon became known as "Little Picasso" around the refugee camp.
Image: picture-alliance/PIXSELL(S. Ilic
Serbian celebrity
The young artist holds up a drawing of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic in his room at the refugee camp. "I was in Turkey, I was in Greece," Farhad told the Associated Press in March about the journey to Europe. "Here in the camp I like my painting, I like drawing my feelings and faces."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/D. Vojinovic
A new home?
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic offered Farhad and his family citizenship on Wednesday, after meeting with the boy and his family. "I know for how long you have traveled and that you want to go to Switzerland," Vucic told Fahrad. "But if you decide to stay, we will give you the citizenship now." In turn, Farhad gave Vucic a gift as well - a portrait of himself.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/T. Ozturk
Helping others in need
Farhad's art is also helping others in need. Last week, the young artist held his first exhibition at a cafe in Belgrade to raise money for a Serbian boy's post-cancer therapy. He said he wanted to show how important it is to be good to others.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Bunic
'Exceptional' talent
Farhad poses next to a vibrant painting of an elephant on display for his charity exhibition, which was organized with the help of aid groups and supported by the Serbian government. "His talent is truly exceptional," said Ivan Miskovic, an official Serbia's refugee agency.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Bunic
Long road to Europe
Fahrad sits with his mother, father and two brothers at his art exhibition in Belgrade. The Nouri family left their home in Afghanistan two years ago in the hopes of reaching Europe. Although they had initially wished to travel further, Serbian President Vucic's citizenship offer also included a job offer for Fahrad's father.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Bunic
Looking to the future
Although he currently still lives in a narrow room at the refugee camp, Farhad hopes to study painting, photography and languages in Switzerland one day to improve his artistic skills.
Image: picture-alliance/PIXSELL/S. Ilic
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The Afghan boy, Farhad Nouri, visited the presidential office in Belgrade with his parents and two siblings on Wednesday. Nouri and his family are among several thousands of migrants stranded in various migrant camps across the Balkan country.
Nouri, also know as "Little Picasso," left Afghanistan two years ago and has been living in Serbia for the last eight months, where he is also attending a drawing course. His parents are hoping to reach Switzerland, despite Balkan states closing their borders to limit the flow of migrants last year.
Dead-end Balkan
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"I know for how long you have traveled and that you want to go to Switzerland," Serbian President Vucic said. "But if you decide to stay, we will give you the citizenship now."
Scholarship also on offer
Nouri became famous in Belgrade for his drawings of famous people, including of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He held his first exhibition recently where he raised funds for a local six-year-old boy recovering from cancer.
During the Wednesday meeting, the Serbian president offered Nouri a scholarship and a job for his father in case he decided to become a Serbian citizen.
Nouri reportedly answered that he still wants to go to study art in Switzerland, countered by Vucic's pledge that the official would "fight to convince" him to stay in Serbia.
