The online encyclopedia is set to grow into a comprehensive collection of the stori
behind the region’s most important artists and their artistry, writes Anand Holla
As the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern art prepares to unveil a series of highly anticipated exhibitions and events this fall, it has just gifted Qatar’s art lovers a good serving of soul-nourishing food for thought. An ambitious, virtual resource on Arab artists and their journeys, Mathaf’s new initiative promises to be an all-encompassing database of art in the Arab world.
Earlier this month, Mathaf, in collaboration with Qatar Museums and Qatar Foundation, threw open its long-term project titled Mathaf Encyclopedia of Modern Art and the Arab World (MEMAAW).
The online resource www.encyclopedia.mathaf.org, which is now in its beta version, is a neatly designed, easy-to-navigate bilingual encyclopedia, stocked with a treasure trove of insights on Arab art. So, if you ever wondered why Suad al-Attar and Youssef Kamel are such celebrated names, drop right in and educate yourself.
The free online scholarly comprehensive resource provides both basic background and in-depth information on modern art of the Arab world.
“The encyclopedia aims to standardise the data on Arab artists, and to encourage multiple perspectives on modernism in the Arab world while providing a comprehensive view on its development,” says Mathaf, in a note on its newly launched initiative.
To ensure superior quality of content, the Mathaf research team commissions scholars and independent researchers to write encyclopedia entries or biographies, under the direction of art historian and Professor Nada Shabout, consulting Director of Research at Mathaf. Moreover, the biographies are accompanied by the artist’s artworks, list of exhibitions, list of awards conferred, further reading recommendations, videos, and photographs that include some rare images (see pictures).
Helmed by Qatari artist, collector, researcher and Mathaf founder Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali al-Thani, as part of the development of Mathaf and knowledge around its collection, the project certainly knows its audience.
With the surging fascination for Arab art, the MEMAAW users will be a varied bunch. “Art historians, researchers, scholars, university students, art professionals and translators seeking information on Arab modern artists, their styles, techniques, artwork, contributions, concepts, terminologies found in the Arabic art glossary, as well as areas of specialisation related to modern art in the Arab world and modernism in general,” explains Mathaf, in its note.
Featuring an alphabetical artists’ index, an advanced search option and videos delving into the artists’ minds, the online encyclopedia is set to grow into a comprehensive collection of the stories behind the region’s most important artists and their artistry.
Although the encyclopedia is “a work in progress,” it will continue to develop to “include all artists from Mathaf’s permanent collection, and in subsequent phases will include Arab artists beyond the collection, as well as historically contextualising and thematic essays on their work.”
Mathaf further adds, in its note, “All peer-reviewed and translated entries are original and provide comprehensive documentation on modern artists of the Arab world by academics and scholars in the field. Entries also include artists’ signatures for reference and authentication as well as artists’ photos, artwork images, and audio-visual material.”
With an aim to serve as a platform that supports knowledge exchange and network between researchers and scholars around the world, the encylopedia hopes to become the definitive guide to the region’s top artists and their works.
From Lebanese artist Daoud Corm to Egyptian sculptor Adam Henein, from revolutionary Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour to Moroccan modernist artist Mohammed Melehi, the brightest talents of Middle Eastern art world come alive in these well-researched biographies.
Written by Tiffany Floyd, Suad al-Attar’s biography, for instance, traces her journey in superb detail. Al-Attar, a leading Iraqi female artist who now lives and works in London, is known for her commitment to preserve the cultural traditions of her homeland.
Floyd writes, “Although al-Attar has lived in London since 1976, she has remained faithful to the cultural heritage of her birthplace. She has embraced Iraq’s folkloric past drawing inspiration from Arab poetry, history, and mythology. Winged and composite creatures make a regular appearance as subject matter for the artist, recalling Assyrian and Sumerian visual culture.”
Other common motifs, which al-Attar uses, like palm trees, horses, and peacocks, are also indicative of Mesopotamian, as well as medieval Islamic, influence, Floyd notes.
“These subjects have since become powerful symbols for Iraq itself. In addition, classical and contemporary poetry of the region has been a constant source of inspiration for the artist.”
Discussing al-Attar’s style at length, Floyd points out, “Her oeuvre is composed of a kaleidoscope of surreal landscapes, mythical creatures, and epic characters. Even her portraits are infused with a dreamlike quality.”
Dr Nadia Radwan’s biography of the legendary Youssef Kamel observes that he belongs to a generation of Egyptian artists referred to as the pioneers, because they were the first to be educated in artistic institutions established according to European models, such as the School of Fine Arts in Cairo.
“Kamel remained faithful to the lessons of his two Italian teachers, Paolo Forcella and Umberto Coromaldi, who were both followers of the Machiaioli movement. They introduced him to the technique of oil painting and the genres of landscape, nudes and portraits, which Kamel adapted to Egyptian subjects. His work expresses a sense of peacefulness and nostalgic timelessness through the use of light strokes and gentle colours,” she notes.
In her biography of another “pioneer” and great Egyptian painter Ragheb Ayad, Dr Radwan notes that Ayad broke away from his academic education at the Fine Arts in Cairo and in Rome to create an original folklorist style that set him apart from his contemporaries.
“Throughout his career, he depicted scenes of rural and popular daily life, such as the market place, the labour in the fields and the popular café, as well as traditional practices rooted in Egyptian culture, such as the zar, a Nubian ritual trance dance, or the tahtib, an ancestral game of stick fighting practiced in Upper Egypt. He also painted religious scenes and exterior views of the Coptic monasteries,” she writes.
On the homepage, a compelling video on the Egyptian sculptor and medallist Gamal el-Sigini titled The Knight of the River helps us understand his craft and his ideas, as it starts with this line: “In the year 1969, with an absurd approach and out of despair, celebrated sculptor Gamal el-Sigini threw his works in the Nile river.” He did so because his works and those of his contemporaries were not commissioned for public spaces.
Dr Radwan writes in her biography on el-Sigini, “From the 1950s, he sculpted social realist works dealing with intensely idealistic and patriotic themes. Although the message of his works was often political, el-Sigini created a poetic style characterised by the introduction of symbols, such as the dove or the snake, as well as his own calligraphy using the signs of an imaginary language. He sculpted allegorical reliefs of several places in Egypt, such as the Nile, Alexandria or Cairo, and often interpreted the image of motherhood as a representation of his homeland.”
The wholesomely informative, and even inspiring, encylopedia certainly speaks for Doha’s first museum for modern and contemporary art’s aspirations to be a pre-eminent voice in the region. Such a fine collection of life stories of Arab world’s modern artists and thereby the exciting voyage of art in the region, can only be good news for the art world, and even beyond.
