Iranian arts find a forum in Jakarta<\/p>\n
By Mehru Jaffer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Before Iranian master calligrapher Fariba
\nMaqsoodi came here she imagined the country to be very similar to
\nher homeland.<\/p>\n
\"In my mind the world's largest Muslim country was not very
\ndifferent to Iran. But when I arrived in Jakarta a few days ago I
\nrealized that everything about the people, climate and landscape
\nof this island country is unique. Everyone I have met here is a
\nMuslim and yet not all women feel the need to cover their head,\"
\n39-year-old Fariba told The Jakarta Post at the National Museum
\nin Jakarta where she is participating along with five others in a
\nlive exhibition of Iranian contemporary arts.<\/p>\n
Likewise, many Indonesians are perhaps not clear as to what
\nIran is all about. Two journalists from a local Arabic monthly
\nmagazine spoke to the Iranians in Arabic and were surprised when
\nthe replies were in the Persian language instead!<\/p>\n
They had obviously taken it for granted that being Muslims all
\nIranians speak Arabic, the mother tongue of Prophet Muhammad.<\/p>\n
\"When such encounters take place the result is enlightenment
\nabout something we weren't aware of about each other. It leads to
\nfurther interest in other people and their way of life,\"
\nexplained Ahmad Abousaeidi, second counselor from the Embassy of
\nthe Islamic Republic of Iran.<\/p>\n
They also fit right in with the exhibition of paintings,
\ncalligraphy, miniatures and handicrafts, sponsored by the embassy
\nin conjunction with the United Nations Year of Dialogue. Also in
\nattendance are the artists, two of whom are women.<\/p>\n
Fariba is the first woman to have written the Koran in
\nNasta'liq, the ultimate in Islamic calligraphy. She has also
\nwritten a second copy of the Koran in Osmani, the Turkish style
\nof calligraphy. A teacher of the ancient art of calligraphy with
\nnearly two decades of experience, the mother of two said that one
\nof her children is keen to pursue her fine art. Fariba's works
\nare gloriously displayed at the exhibition and provide much
\nvisual pleasure.<\/p>\n
The other woman artist, Hengameh Sadry, 28, has been painting
\nin the Persian style for over a decade. What is interesting about
\nthe works of this master miniaturist is the way she struggles to
\ncombine the contemporary with the classical. Even as she modestly
\ncovers the head of the beauty on a balcony in one of her
\npaintings, standing against the doors of tradition that are shut
\nbehind her, there appears an attempt to bare the soul of her
\nsubject, at least for a moment.<\/p>\n
The surreal works of Ali Akbar Sadeghi are fascinating,
\nespecially his use of uniforms and the weaponry of members of the
\narmed forces. The watercolor exhibits by the same artist are so
\nrefined that some of them could be mistaken for real-life
\nphotographs. Nasrollah Afei, a 67-year-old artist from Tehran,
\nintrigues as he tries to adapt tradition to modern trends.<\/p>\n
Apart from the paintings and calligraphy, the handicrafts on
\ndisplay stand out for their fine creativity, especially the
\nrotund pitchers extravagantly carved in both silver and bronze by
\nMehdi Alamdari. Now in his early 50s, he has studied metal
\nengraving since he was a boy. The other artist is Sohrob Rahimi,
\nwhose specialty is engraving and inlaid work.<\/p>\n
The presence of the Iranian artists is particularly
\nappropriate as the Year of Dialogue came from an idea of Iranian
\nPresident Mohammad Khatami. Concerned by speculative arguments
\nabout the West versus the \"rest\", like those of Samuel P.
\nHuntington, the author of The Clash of Civilizations and The
\nRemaking of World Order, Khatami proposed a resolution in 1998 at
\nthe United Nations that dialog replace hostility and
\nconfrontation with discourse and understanding.<\/p>\n
After a passionate debate the resolution was adopted late last
\nyear without a vote by the General Assembly and 2001 was declared
\nthe Year of Dialogue. The exhibition will go some way in the
\nattempt to create positive interaction and fusion between
\ncultures and civilizations.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is at the National Museum, Jl. Merdeka Barat
\n12, Jakarta until Feb. 22. Contact 331378 or 334637 for more
\ninformation.<\/p>",
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