Mouneer Al Shaarani, Humans are the souls of homes
Al Shaarani, I see life as a treasure which lessens each night
Al Shaarani, Syria
Art on 56th Gallery, Al Shaarani Exhibit
Art on 56th has newly opened the doors of its galleries on the ground floor of a beautifully restored historic building, typical of its quarter in Gemayzeh. Its generous quality couldn’t better host the exquisite work of Mouneer Al Shaarani. With his faultless brush strokes he evokes timeless reflections on life along with very current inscriptions of changes taking over Syria.
Al Shaarani, synonymous with contemporary Arabic calligraphy, has developed new techniques in contemporary calligraphy only after mastering his calligraphic heritage in detail. Born in Syria in 1952. He found his calling at a young age as an apprentice for one of the most important Syrian Calligraphers Badawi Al Dirany. He has since gained tremendous international acclaim for modernizing calligraphic heritage as well as for over 35 years of book design and his writing.
Al Shaarani: “Ottomans considered the different styles of calligraphy sacred and tampering with them was prohibited…for centuries various styles of Arabic calligraphy, such as Kufi & Maghrabi were concealed. I had discovered that many calligraphic styles involve visual abilities that can be developed to produce contemporary art. Such an understanding is the very backbone of my work, which is the avant-garde integration between calligraphy and modernity.
My experience and specialty in contemporary graphic design enabled me to access the existing calligraphic work that has been derived from the very roots of the Arabic calligraphy tree. Consequently, allowing me to free it from the sacred golden cage and enabling it to get out from the inertia and conventional prison to the wide horizons of art in order to find its prestigious place among the fine arts.”
For more details visit Art on 56th Gallery website
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