|
press
clips
|
|
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
press
clips
summer academy
currently on
workshops
activities archive
March
2003
Darat Al Funun Brings The Arab Art World Together
By
Hada Sarhan - the Jordan Times
AMMAN Jabal Luweibdeh's Darat al
Funun has succeeded where politicians failed, uniting together
all Arab countries together under a single roof in the name
of art.
The permanent exhibition of the "Khalid Shoman Collection"
features 500 works by 79 artists from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon,
Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and more via painting sculpture,
prints, drawing and photography. Darat Director Ali Maher
told The Jordan Times that despite the tragedies of war, people
should "continue to live and share the beautiful creativity
with people the whole world over."
"The exhibition is a message to the whole world that civilization
will continue in spite of war and Arabs will continue to produce
beautiful art," said Maher. The director said Darat wanted
to show the world the level of creativity Arab people have
achieved in visual arts.
Darat's founder Suha Shoman told The Jordan Times that the
aim of the exhibition was to promote both local and regional
Arab artists. "We believe artists truly represent the identity
and culture of their country," said Shoman, also an artist.
The importance of this particular display is the high quality
of the pieces presented and the ability to follow through
the different stages of the artists' work, she added. The
collection said Shoman, brings art pioneers together with
younger artists from Darat's annual "Summer Academy" programme
to teach various schools to the young generation.
Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi, who utilises calligraphy
in an abstract and symbolic manner, said his lettering symbolises
"revolution and protest." He combines two of the Arab world's
historically favoured formed calligraphy and poetry bringing
contemporary poetry, primarily that Mohmoud Darwish, to art
lovers. Koraichi uses script and signs, which he calls the
"alphabet of memory," with a variety of media and techniques,
such as paper, silk, glass and ceramics.
Jordanian artist Adnan Sharif in series of colour photographs
shows his love of nature, which he calls "the mother of art."
"Flowers are the gift of nature," said Sharif. "These flowers
are a summons to clean the eye of everyday visual pollutants."
The work of late artist Ali Jabiri of Khirbit Nawafleh village
are being exhibited for the first time, reflecting his effort
to preserve the uniqueness of traditional village from the
influence of modernity. Saad Shakir's works are a patchwork
of colour and symbolism, capturing the eye with their imagination
and freshness.
"My life belongs to art. I survive by it," said the artist
in a previous interview with The Jordan Times.
press
clips
summer academy
currently
on
workshops
activities
archive
