Khairat Al-Saleh

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Khairat Al-Saleh
Born1940
Jerusalem
NationalitySyrian-British
EducationUniversity of Wales, Swansea (English literature)
Known forPainter, poet, author
Movement Hurufiyya movement
Website KhairatSaleh

Khairat Al-Saleh, born in Jerusalem and educated in Syria and Egypt, is a noted painter in the Hurufiyya movement and a ceramicist, glassmaker and printmaker.

Contents

Life and career

Khairat Al-Saleh was born in Jerusalem in 1940. [1] She was educated at the University of Wales Swansea, where she studied English literature and poetry and works as a ceramist, [2] glassmaker, printmaker and painter living between England and Syria. [3] She is noted for her use of calligraphy and miniatures. Inspired by Arab and Islamic art, she experimented with the art of illuminated manuscripts, [4] arabesque and geometric design in her paintings, prints and ceramics.

As a poet, her work is closely linked to illumination, illustration and the art of the book. Nevertheless, in her art she also explored the liberating effects of water color techniques, even digital art. She trained as a printmaker and ceramist in Richmond, but she is mainly self-taught as an artist. She has exhibited in London, several times at Leighton House Museum, and in many European and Arab countries. [5] Presently she is producing works of art and writing under a pen name in Britain. She has also published a book which was translated to many languages, entitled Fabled Cities, Princes and Jinn from Arab Myths and Legends. [6]

As a visual artist, Al Saleh works in ceramics, glass, prints and paintings (watercolours and gouache). [7] All her work reflects her Arabic identity. The art historian, Wijdan Ali, classifies her paintings as belonging to the Neoclassical style within the Hurufiyya movement which means that she follows the rules of calligraphy established by 13th-century Sufi calligraphers. [8]

Work

Al-Saleh's work is held in major public art collections, including:

Exhibitions

See also

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References

  1. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, p. 16
  2. DeMonte, Claudia (2000). Women of the world: a global collection of art . Pomegranate. p.  167. ISBN   9780764913341.
  3. Khairat Al-Saleh
  4. "Illuminated manuscripts, Islamic - Google Search".
  5. Sardar, Ziauddin (29 January 1999). "Articles of faith". New statesman.
  6. Livo, Norma J. (31 March 1996). "Exploring Cultures of the Middle East, India". Rocky Mountain News.
  7. Sadar, Z., "Articles of Faith," New Statesman, 29 January 1999, Online:
  8. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, pp 165-66
  9. Ali Omar Ermes, Online:
  10. Al-Ali, N. and Al-Najjar, D., We Are Iraqis: Aesthetics and Politics in a Time of War, Syracuse University Press, 2013, p. 40