Monday, December 18, 2023

The Purest Love on Earth

 



Mother Ummi

 

My Mother Would Walk Through the Lava and Shattered Glass Carrying Me Smiling! … Mother’s Love is Unlimited and Unconditional. ~ Amer H. Fatuhi

In the Enûma Elish (The Babylonian Genesis/epic of creation), the mother goddess Tiamat bears the first generation of deities. She was the first ever known Mother. However, Ninhursag (Mama) is the goddess referred to as the creator of humankind. 

Women were worshiped in ancient times for being associated with childbirth and fertility. The pictograph symbol of the word mother was among the very first symbols used in Mesopotamia over seven millennia ago. Personally, I see the mother as the symbol of fertility, the homeland, and every good in life.

Since I was in middle school, I have painted many artworks of my mother connecting her to the homeland, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the date palm tree, the dove flying in an open sky like a free spirit, the morning pigeon standing at the roof fence singing by my bed (Ku ku o ukhti) in the early morning, and every good thing in life. Throughout the years I used different styles, materials, and techniques. However, in my latest artwork Dec. 7th, My Mother / Ummi (in Akkadian) and (אמא שלי) imma shali in Hebrew, I focused on how to depict the ancient symbol in my modern art not as an inscription or a material of intent but as an expression and a window to the beauty of the soul.


The shape and the visual elements are just there as the foundations of the work which are derived from my Logogramisim style; but, what makes this work live and very captivating is the unique composition, the playing with the space, colors, the limited use of the austere texture, i.e., the top shape in different vivid red colors similar to the house roofing and the eightfold star. Moving between playing with green color gives the viewer the dynamic impression of the conflict between stability and instability, playing with two kinds of clear and rainy tile surfaces. The bottom brush strokes and the single heavy white stroke give the base of the work a lively expression. To make the entire work more vibrant yet quite stable, I added the bottom two small triangular shapes in light violet and yellow to match the two top triangular forms with similar colors. Anyone, whether an artist or a common viewer, will be easily attracted to the positivity and genuineness that touches the heart and ignites an invisible aura of beauty around it, and that is what a mother is all about.

 

Subject: Mother Ummi 

Technique: Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas 

Measurements: 36 x 36 Inches 

Date: 2023 

Price: $30,000


Thursday, December 7, 2023

I Stand with Israel

 


I Stand with Israel … I stand with Jews Worldwide 

עם ישראל חי

Shalom w Ahava

There’s been a shocking increase in antisemitism in the United States and around the world in the aftermath of October 7th. Any normal person who respects humanity must call out antisemitism, extremism, and hate. On October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, raping, burning, and beheading innocent Israelis, as well as kidnapping over 240 babies, children, young females, and other civilians, including Holocaust survivors into Gaza. 

As a visual artist and poet, I strongly condemn antisemitism and any kind of hate speech or act against natives and minorities. Therefore, I 100% stand with Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. I also demand the release of the innocent kidnapped civilians and to bring them home now!

A’m Yisrael Chai

 

Amer Hanna Fatuhi, Ph.D.

Visual Artist & Poet

www.JewsofBabylon-Book.com