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When Kurdish refugee Bewar Esmat fled to Solihull after losing everything, little did he know his art would be showcased in the town's main venue for all to see. A gifted and trained artist, Iraqi Kurd Bewar was forced to flee the troubles of his homeland.

He arrived in Solihull in October 2021. Like many in his situation, he came to the UK with nothing, leaving behind a family and life that was once full of opportunity.

Holed up in a Solihull hotel with hundreds of refugees, Bewar lives in limbo while he waits for his Home Office interview. When most would crumble in the uncertainty, he has created a collection of stunning paintings.

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His creations paint a vivid picture of the things he has seen. The white cliffs of Dover as he arrived on a boat, dark skies punctured by bright colours. His work is abstract, and created with the few resources he has.

Speaking to BirminghamLive through a translator, Bewar said: "I had this idea of what I wanted to do when I arrived. I had a certificate from an art academy in Iraq. I was an art teacher in Iraq, working for 13 years. I went to college."

And on where his ideas come from, he said: "I get ideas, [one picture] is from Dover, when I saw Dover, I was very happy."

Walk through Bewar's art exhibition in the video at the top of this article.

31-year-old Bewar is from Duhok, the capital city of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. Duhok itself is home to a huge refugee camp that first opened to host internally displaced Iraqis from the ISIS war in Iraq.

The UNHCR has reported that Iraq itself has a displacement crisis. Duhok camp has hosted displaced Iraqis, including Yazidis, Christians, Shabak, Kakai, Armenian and Turkmen minorities - some of whom have endured repeated displacement.

As a result of that, and other factors like religious and cultural persecution, people from that region have fled to claim asylum.

Bewar trained at a top art academy in Iraq, and was supported by his friends, who also live in temporary accommodation at the Solihull hotel, to display his impressive work. We have removed the identity of the hotel Bewar is staying at for security reasons.

More than 15 of Bewar's friends turned up to Solihull Council's refugee week event, at the Core Theatre on June 22, to support his first art show. Elliot Williams teaches Bewar and all of the refugees at the hotel English every week. He has got to know them well, and is clearly trusted by the group.

He said: "It's quite incredible, there's visible progression. From not knowing a word of English, they can now have basic conversations. I believe in them.

"English is fundamental" he added. The 26-year-old volunteers as a teacher but works with Entraide, a small charity dedicated to supporting refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers living in Solihull.

Those who reside in the hotels are considered by law to be asylum seekers whilst their applications for refugee status are considered by the Home Office. People housed in Solihull hotels are not necessarily destined to stay here, and could later be housed anywhere in the country.

Earlier this year, the Government came under fire for how much they spend on housing asylum seekers in hotels, with Home Secretary Priti Patel saying at the time: "We do not want people in hotels. We should not be housing people in hotels.

Communities boss at Solihull Council Alison Mc Grory said they are making a change to how the borough supports refugees.

"We supported a major exercise at Birmingham Airport last year when [refugees] came from Afghanistan, that was our first major work with refugees," she told BirminghamLive.

"We didn't have a formal resettlement service, now we do." She added: "We've started this year's [refugee week event] little. It's not just about the week, it's about what we do."

On what life is like living in temporary accomodation, Bewar said: "We need help, for art materials, for painting." And asked how he felt about being in Solihull, he replied: "I am happy, very happy."

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Refugee who fled to Solihull from Iraq produces stunning art from his temporary accommodation - Birmingham Live