Salma Taman, an Indianapolis-based artist from Alexandria, Egypt, paints large canvases of famous people.
Her portraits include Audrey Hepburn, Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Michelle Obama. Civil Rights figures are also a source of inspiration — Muhammed Ali, Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Taman’s work, which she said has served as a great mental-health break from her other job as a lawyer, includes traditional Arabic calligraphy. Sometimes she adds it to the background or in the earrings of portraits of women she paints to symbolize concepts like “stronger,” “brave” or the Latin expression “carpe diem,” which means seize the day.
“I feel that this fusion allows me to experience the complexities of different cultures,” Taman said. “It’s never from just one place. This makes my art very rich and my life very rich.”
Along with the works of eight artists, Taman’s paintings will be on display as part of the art exhibit, “Arabesque: The Art of Storytelling,” which is part of the Arab American Community Fair to commemorate Arab American Heritage Month.
Food vendors, traditional dancers and musicians are also part of the free but ticketed celebration noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at Indy’s Global Village, 4233 Lafayette Road.
“Arabesque” will be open to the public during the Global Village’s regular business hours until April 26.
Taman worked alongside IU Indianapolis students of Arab American history and life to curate the exhibition.
“Any artist who self-identifies as Arab American or is of Arab descent was welcome to apply, because it’s complicated,” said Taman. “Even within the same country, not everyone may identify as ‘Arab.’”
Talha Kahf, an artist participating in “Arabesque,” creates art under the name “The Wooden Ghazal,” which means gazelle in Arabic. He said that he hopes people who see his art — regardless of their ethnic background — will find it inspiring and educational.
Kahf, who is Syrian and will soon graduate from the School of Social Work at IU Indianapolis, is a woodworker who incorporates dried flowers into his art. He said he wants to promote a dialogue about gender norms by showing “balance of American views about masculinity and femininity, and Syrian views about masculinity and femininity.”
Kahf also talked about the Mandate for Syria and Lebanon as a source of inspiration. The mandate, which took place after World War I, imposed France as a “trustee” of the territory and changed the laws. Before the intervention, women had been allowed to own land and run businesses.
“When the French were colonizing us, they targeted women’s autonomy and banned women from getting an education unless they dressed like the French and spoke French, setting up barriers for women to have access to employment outside of the home,” said Kahf.
Two works by Egyptian mosaic artist Ghadeer El-Bolkiny will also be featured: “The Golden Nugget” and “Tanoura.” The works have Islamic and Egyptian influences and are different from her works as an interior designer.
“I do a lot of commissions, but those are not me,” said El-Bolkiny. “These are me. I love colors. I love life when it’s nice and smiling at your face when it’s colorful. Color shows me and my background, my culture.”
For Taman, this is the main reason for the exhibition.
“For a very long time, Arab Americans have not been heard. Others have talked about us for us, not about who we are and what we believe,” Taman said. “We are reclaiming that space by being able to speak for ourselves.”
Rebecca Berfanger is a Mirror Indy freelance contributor. You can reach her at r.berfanger@gmail.com.
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Celebrate Middle Eastern culture at Arab American community fair
The April 12 fair will have dancers, food and works by local artists.
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