Sami Burhan: Commitment to aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy as a contemporary creative art form

No better way to introduce renowned Syrian artist Mohammad Sami Burhan than the authentication given to him by the UN to design its stamp on drug on June 12, 1987 under the motto " yes to life - No to drugs."

Each lithograph is individually numbered and bears the embossed seals of both the Federation and the JK Fine Art Editions Company where this lithograph was produced. Each lithograph is hand signed by him.

Regarded as one of the first among modern Arab artists to become interested in the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy as a contemporary creative art form, Mohammad Sami Burhan was born in Syria in 1929. He began studying Arabic calligraphy at age 13, and later studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and for the past 20 years has lived in Formello, Rome.

After teaching at the Teachers' Training College of Aleppo in Syria, Burhan moved to Italy where he obtained a degree in painting and sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and later, a degree from the Institute of Coin and Medal Design. He has also taught the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy at the Institute of Islamic Studies in Rome. Burhan has staged more than 50 private exhibitions of his work in Austria, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Syria, and the United States. Many of his works are on exhibition in various museums, public and private institutions, palaces and homes of prominent personalities and intelligentsia around the world. Mohammad Sami Burhan's exquisite calligraphy which reads, in Arabic, "Yes To Life, No To Drugs," is a lithograph in bold blue tones, brilliantly enhanced with silk-screened gold hues, against a red and white patterned background of calligraphic lines (http://www.netmart.com/wfuna-art/images/thumbnail/burhan_jun.jpg).

A genuine art exhibition of 29 canvas were on display for the Syrian artist Sami Burhan at the Damascus al-Sayed art Gallery on January 5 - 22nd. The exhibition was inaugurated by the minister of culture Mahmoud al-Sayed and visited by prominent Syrian officials including prime minister Naji al-Otari and a wide cultural and educated public.

In a statement to ArabicNews.com, artist Burhan said he is very pleased to have his exhibition held in Damascus, noting it is very painful for him to have his canvas sold and owned in Europe while their due place should be Syria.

He said that his artistic experience cherished in Italy when one senior Italian Orientalist, Louis Massignon, encouraged the artist on the need to make use of the aesthetics of Arab calligraphy, and in 1957 he gave wide mention to the artist's work and the effect of the Arab calligraphy on the Arab plastic art movement.

He added the same text was also published in 1958 in the musical encyclopedia in Paris. Artist Burhan added that this gesture motivated him to give wider interest to Arab calligraphy, but with a no less similar interest on the ancient Arab civilizations of the Akkadians, Amorites.. etc, stressing studies about the effects of Ugarit's civilization where calligraphy was born and the fact there are large number of Greek mythology derived all from the phonetics of the unmatched civilization of Ugarit.

The artist urges to study and learn the Arab civilization of the homeland and then to inspire from the European civilization. To study the alphabetical letter, the most important invention in human civilization - which was born in Ugarit and then disseminated to upward into Byblos, Sinai up to Yemen.

His commitment to this sort of art was manifested in an exhibition magnifying Arab calligraphy in Italy. Thanks to the uniqueness of this artistic trend, the exhibition witnessed great turnout and all the works were owned by famous Arab art lovers.

With a strongly refined talent and a professional skill perpetuated with a life span- artistic commitment, artist Burhan in 1997 opened the Arab- Italian center for contemporary arts. A one week program was organized including a plastic art exhibition of paints and sculptures for several Arab artists, Arab music recitals performed in gardens and Arab food cook were shown in three main restaurants.

On the sideline of this big event, artist Burhan composed a large catalogue for Arab artists from Qatar, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Italy.

His homesickness as an expatriate in Italy, away from his motherland for more than 40 years, artist Burhan was given the impetus to strive for beauty in the art in his pursuit to maintain the Arab school in the plastic art movement. " I personally believe in golobalization. It is the globalization of knowledge and learning. I do regret the globalization of monopoly," artist Burhan said.

He recalled the Islamic methodology in the first word in the Koran which calls for learning. A process emphasized by Prophet Muhammad in his saying "learning is prescribed " and is not a hobby. So learning is prescribed on every and each Muslim, male or female to assure equality between man and woman in search and study.

Aftermath came Imam Ali. When Islam's opponents wanted to embarrass him by a repeated question, as man asked him, repeating the same question on which is better in Islam learning or money, and why, the Imam replied that learning is much better than money because whenever you disseminate learning it expands in volume while in the same context when you distribute money it diminishes." And this is the very globalization of Islam I advocate through plastic art works." the artists commented.

He said that in his artistic performance he concentrates on the need of research into the Arab roots in the human civilizations, considering that the most sublime and richest historical epochs of the Arab continued pride are the phonetics where the greatest human innovations were crystallized and manifested in the Arab Calligraphy.

The artist emphasized his call to study the roots, firmly and genuinely. " we insert our right leg and when we become able and genius in that we open up our windows to other civilizations into a take-and-give process. And then we can see a genuine Arab art of deeply rooted origins and contemporary branches. The more we are fed by the roots and we feed, the more we achieve a modern contemporary art.."

As part of his loyal commitment to artistic creativity, Burhan's Damascus art exhibition will not be an end in itself. He will open another art exhibition of the same spirit in Aleppo in the first part of February.

On March 1st, the artists will be honored when his marble statue inspired from the aggregation of "M letters collection in Arabic " will be inaugurated in Italy.

To this, the prominent artist says "In this sculpture, the M letters intermingled in the path of the rightfulness, bounty and beauty."