ShareKUWAIT: The National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature hosted an exhibition of contemporary Arab ceramics and a book signing ceremony for contemporary Arab ceramics by the Jordanian artist Yacoub Al-Otoom. The exhibition was held under the patronage of the Minister of Information, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and Chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature, Abdul Rahman Al-Mutairi.
The exhibition featured the works of Arab artists participating in the Contemporary Arab Ceramics Celebration, which was launched last Monday at the Arts Hall in the Abdullah Al-Salem suburb. The Secretary-General of the Council, Dr Mohammad Al-Jassar, said in a statement on the sidelines of the opening ceremony that this ceremony is the first gathering of Arab potters in the Arab world, expressing his pride that Kuwait is the incubator of culture, arts and literature in the region.
He pointed out that since its inception, the celebration has witnessed busy activities with the participation of approximately 26 Arab guests, along with artists from Kuwait, in an atmosphere of friendship for exchanging ideas and experiences.
He stressed the importance of these forums for developing ceramic skills in the Arab world, which has existed for hundreds of years and ceramics were a craft for making practical, daily tools in the past before it was an art. He explained that most of the ceramic works that resulted from this gathering and were displayed in the exhibition reflect the prevailing psychological state and sadness due to the situation of the Palestinian people in Gaza. He noted that “art is a message that reflects the state of the nation.”
In turn, Assistant Secretary for the Arts Sector at the Council, Musaed Al-Zamil, said in his speech that the participating potters presented wonderful works during the exhibition that reflected their skill and creativity in the field of ceramics. He added that the National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature was keen to hold this first forum, indicating that Kuwait is a pioneer in many fields. He explained that the book ‘Contemporary Arab Ceramics’ by the Jordanian artist Yacoub Al-Atoum was the basis of this gathering, and the book, which was issued by the NCCAL led to the establishment of this forum.
Dima Al-Quraini, head of the Kuwaiti Ceramic House, told KUNA that this forum is the result of an effort to bring together guests and an elite group of Arab potters under one roof.
Jordanian artist Yaqoub Al-Otoom said that his book includes works of about 225 Arab potters and about 700 ceramic works documented by the name of the artist, measurement, year of production, and technique. The book is also decorated at the beginning with the critical words of the most important Arab critics, so that it is considered a reference book on Arab ceramics. — KUNA
