Al-Khaa Al-Ashhab (1998) is a powerful example of Ali Omar's inimitable interpretation of the Arabic letter. Using the letter khaa as the focal point of the work, he evokes a sense of swiftness and speed in its delineation. The monochrome palette is a deliberate play on the name Ash-hab, which means greyness.
Elegantly rendered lines from a poem by the tenth-century prince and warrior, Abi Faris Al-Hamadani, echo the curves of the letterform. The poem, which describes Al-Hamadanis willingness and ability to counteract pain and disappointment, to remain positive during hardship, and on the noble way to treat others, adds another dimension to the meaning of the work, while the formal inclusion of the text adds a delicacy to the overpowering presence of the central motif.
Original name (Arabic): الخاء الأشهب
Original production date: 1998
Image Size: 152cm x 122cm
Materials: Acrylic on paper, mounted on canvas
Location of Original: Private Collector
This piece is about the power of the single stroke technique which Ali Omar Ermes employs as a hallmark of a number of his works.
It explores the vast richness of the Arabic language and the magnitude of the depth of expression in Arabic with the simplest and most direct method or as complicated as you wish.