Summer Academy 2003
High Art
Sima Zureikat - JO Magazine
October 2003

The month-long workshops of Marwan Kasab Bashi, aSyrian artist based in Germany, which are held annually at Darat Al Funun, are gaining legendary status among young artists across the Levant. Sima Zureikat meets some of the participants to find out what all the excitement is about.

There's canvas strung overhead, tied to the trees and sides of an old Amman house, shielding the harsh sunlight from the shadow-free faces of the students below. With beads of sweat on their upper brows, they lean with comfort over each other with a familiarity that is building like the day's heat. Their jeans are stained with paint and their fingers dirtied by the charcoal that has collected beneath the nails. They stand semi-circled on a black tarp that protects the floor from the occasional drizzle of ink and acrylic washes. As they gaze towards the centre of their gathering sparkles kindle in their eyes. In the centre seated on a golden tan stool is their teacher who glows with the attention. The focus is intense and thick. The entire setting is fashioned just for art to happen.

There is a long-standing relationship between Marwan Kasab Bashi, the Shoman Foundation, and Darat Al Funun. His annual workshops held at "The Dara", which since September 11, 2001, were put on hold, have developed a legend around them. The event has become a Mecca for students in the Arab art community eager to improve their skills. This year, students, some returning, some new, from Palestine, Syria and Lebanon have again migrated to Jabal Al Weibdeh to join their Jordanian counterparts for a month long workshop.

From morning till night, the days are spent in hours of production and critique. Here, the process of work and work analysis are given the same weight. Any time not devoted to art, be it through awareness, thought, research, or creation, is an unfortunate waste of time. Where else can this attention be possible?

His method is considered unorthodox. For Marwan, the proper approach to understanding art lies not only in the technical skills but also within the philosophy of art itself. In fact, the synthesis of the two is a top priority for students to learn. For 24 hours a day, their lives are intertwined in the workshop with one goal in mind Ð to live will full immersion in art. In this regard, to work on one's art is to work on one's psyche. To understand one's own art is to understand one's intention within oneself. The process is demanding and teaches the students to be honest with their work. This emphasis can rarely be grasped in school but requires such an intensive platform that borders between instruction and therapy. In other words, it's not just drawing and painting, it's a complete head change.

When Marwan speaks, there's a sacred silence that fills the air. Those who are lucky are able to grasp his words underneath his strange mumbling tones; the others seem to rely on the general vibe and reactions of others. Long pauses of thought and contemplation follow. Sketches and drawings are sprawled out before him while the students stand still scanning the images and waiting for feedback. He spends anywhere from five minutes to an hour going over each work, as each student waits desperately for his or her turn.

At the end of the day, though, the emphasis of the workshop is not Marwan, but the students themselves. Their interactions, group discussions and relationships with each other shape their experience of the workshop on the whole. There's a kind of camaraderie between them, as they struggle to grow and learn from each other. While Marwan helps to plant the proper seeds, it is from within each of them that their personal expression is born.

Interested in the experiences of the students and what brought this group together, I asked each one of their relationship with Marwan, their expectations in coming and what they have gotten from the workshop now half way through.

"It's not just about the teacher but about a collective experience. Everyone has a piece of himself he has brought with him, and everyone has something to share. I came to search for myself and my own style." - Akram Halabi, 22, Golan

"I participated in the workshop two years ago to study with Marwan. He understands me more than most people. I came this time to show Marwan what I have. I wanted to reconnect with him to see where I now stand. I find my courage in him." - Zeina Kamareddine, 29, Beruit

"The workshop was highly recommended so I came. I had no expectations before the workshop. I was happy to find that Marwan understands what I'm trying to do, maybe even when I'm not sure myself. This is something that isn't available in other parts of the region." - Nadim Mishlawi, 23, Beruit

"One reason I came was to discover Jordan. This workshop gave me a good opportunity to spend time in the country. Here with my work I am free to do what I want. Marwan encourages me to go for it. He is very open-minded." - Ziad Bitar, 26, Beruit

"I took a workshop with Marwan in 2001. I came this year to continue my study with him. This is where I can focus on my art. Marwan is good at telling everyone what they need to do and what to avoid. I want to get in touch with my feelings more in my paintings. Marwan teaches me how to put all of what I think and feel in my work." - Suhail Salem, 29, Gaza

"This is my third time with Marwan. The workshop gives me the opportunity to paint, communicate and experience my work with the other students. There are many other painters like me and our group discussions are very helpful. It gives me the opportunity to think more and go into more research about my work. This is very difficult to do when I am alone in my studio." - Raed Abrahim, 32, Beruit

"I heard from other students who came before about the workshop. I thought this was a good chance for me to work with a professor like Marwan. The atmosphere with the other students and the clarity of Marwan's critiques are better than I expected. My work has more depth than before." - Mohammed Ali, 21, Damascus

"Coming wasn't a choice - I had to come to see Marwan. It's very important to listen when he speaks. He tells me a new thing every morning, not just about art but about how to see life and how to express what we see in our work." - Tammam Azzam, 24, Damascus

"Although I graduated from the Fine Arts School in Egypt, I gained a lot of experience so far. In school we take a very academic approach - here, I am practicing things I wasn't exposed to before. We concentrate on things on a deeper level of feeling and emotion. Before, I learned to look at things in an aesthetic way but now I see with passion." - Mohammed Al Dabous, 25,Gaza

"I learned many wrong things in university, and for the first time I feel I am learning what is right. Art is not easy. The concept of why we do art is to fight for our existence. We are learning to express ourselves truly with all honesty." - Khalid Barakeh, 27, Damascus

"It's an academy, not just a course. I'm a teacher myself, so it's also helped me in my career. The workshop is an eye-opener. From the books, stories and critiques, I've learned how to properly analyze a painting. I've learned from my colleagues so much. They and the teacher make the circle of knowledge I have." - Hanan Khalil, 31, Amman