Khushushban

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

El Moulid

The mosques of Egypt were decorated with a festive cob web of light bulbs,

colorful racks covering the sides of sweet shops and colorful candies every where, numerous sugar sculptures of knights on horses and dolls in colorful paper garments.

T'was the night Egypt celebrated "Moulid Al Nabi" the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.

The word "Moulid" is driven from the word “Mawlid” (related to the Arabic word for birth) is a festival that occurs several times a year in Cairo to celebrate the birthday of important historical figures in Islam, as well as Sufi saints.

Early last month, thousands of Egyptians filled the streets of Islamic Cairo for the birthday of the prophet Muhammad.

Crowds of people- men , women and children congregate to watch the world go by- the men in white jellabias, dervishes in green and women and children in their best clothes together make the scene bright and colorful.

Different religious sects erect tents with fairy lights, tinsels and flags where their followers can sit and listen to the sufi chanting and watch the dervishes as they get carried away swaying and moving to the songs of praise.

The streets and alleys around every mosque turns into amusement parks of curiosities...

where primitive Ferris-wheels, carousels and swings are still powered by man's strength.

Salesmen spread their ways on the ground- prayers beads, religious books, inflatable plastic toys and balloons.

Stalls selling the traditional Moulid sweets made of sesame seed, coconut, candy with peanut brittle, chickpeas brittle and Turkish delight.

The sugar rush that marks this festival goes back to the Fatimid era. Moulids have long been interwoven in ancient Egyptian history. As Mcpherson puts it in his master-piece "The Moulids of Egypt', it was the Fatimid, who ruled Egypt during the 10th to 12th century and adopted the Moulid festivities and gave them legitimacy. Aiming to make their new capital a protectorate of Islamic sanctuaries, the Fatimids celebrated the Moulids, with special emphasis on those related to the Prophet Mohammed and his descendants, for the Fatimids claim to be the Prophet's descendants through his daughter Fatima.

These festivals that are affiliated with the birthdays of Sufi sheikhs or saints have always embodied secular and religious traits. Among the secular aspects are parades, candy, street carnivals and numerous sugar figurines that include

sugar knights on horses for boys..

and sugar dolls for girls.

... speaking of sugar, there's an ivory figure that's made of sugar announcing it's presence on the blankness of my sketchbook, in proud stillness she stand, with dreams of sugar knights and colorful lights and many colorful paper garments and fans...

She has been there for quite a while and in due time she'll tell you her tale.

Meanwhile I'll leave you with this a video of the 60's musical puppet performance "The Big Night" referring to El Moulid Night. The amazing puppets are the work of Nagy Shaker, an Egyptian artist whom I long admired. The iconic performance is ultimately the most famous Egyptian puppet performance ever made, it illuminates the folkloric side of El Moulid celebrations in Egypt, and Like El Moulid itself, this performance has became insuperable part of the Egyptian culture conveying all the chaotic joy, magic and curiosities of El Moulid celebrations in Egypt.

Many happy returns!

Saturday, 31 December 2011

On The Hill Of The New Year

I watched the Giza Pyramids silhouette sink below the horizon slowly while carving my way through the city traffics, heading south towards my Faiyum oasis.

I cruised down the pleasurable lush green surrounding, passing by herds of goats gaily trotting across the road

breathing in an enchanting palette of colors made of variegated hues of green, yellow and brown

while Lake Qarun, stretching across prolongs the illusion.

Until I reached the far end of Qarun Lake at the limits of the desert gate and upon seeing the light colored domes, the olive groves atop a familier hill facing the lake, that's when I felt my heart skipping with joy and I was overwhlmed by a great since of belonging, I was back to a place I call home, I was back to Tunis Village.

Twenty five years ago, Tunis Village was a remote farming settlement like many others in the Faiyum oasis. Now it is home to a growing colony of potters, writers, artists and intellectuals from Cairo and elsewhere. And it all started when The Swiss artist Evelyne Poret fell in love with this land and was among the first to

settle in this hill top village and founded the Tunis Pottery School.

Since then the reputation of Tunis village as the “pottery village” has spread.

the pottery of Tunis village is mostly decorated with something that looks like naive art, depicting the things the artists see in their daily life.

Standing on the hill top gazing at the vast lake, observing the rolling of the last day of an eventful year, while dipping my toes into the warm sands, in my mind's eyes I'm expanding my roots into the soil of this land affirming my place among families of palm trees. I smell the damp earth aroma carried by the high wind and I'm reminded of the first time I sat foot in this land and how it had changed my life and taught me and still teaching me so much, I'm forever grateful and thankful to this land.

I stand with the amber pup looking forward with joy to the start of a new year and new adventures in our lives. And before we hide behind the wild reeds, We both hope you had a joyous Christmas and we wish you a happy healthy new year filled with magic, adventures and many good deeds.

Thursday, 22 December 2011

The Garlands Of Autumn

His eyes have looked at me through my quick passed Autumn.

Now our days are shorter, nights are longer and the skies are covered with the cloudy cloak of winter.

I remember seven years ago, when I first laid eyes on a certain amber joyful trickster, he seemed to have stepped out a fairy tale book and rooted himself into my nook, with mischievous grin he won my heart and changed the flavor of my life.

Looking upon this furry soul while resting his head right on my lab as I weave these lines for you, he's sinking deep in dreams of bird chasing, trail sniffing, bones chewing and many wanders to come. I can't discribe in words how deeply his presence have affected me and I'm joyfully grinning and thankful for much love and happiness he brought into my every day.

In keeping my promise to my amber companion I share with you my work of late inspired by his autumn garland covered coat.

Through dried leaves wounding his way back home after his morning wanders, with muddy paws and coat covered with wonders

leafs & twigs, birds & bugs, snails & mushrooms, flowers & feathers

and many delights of autumn tales tangled into his wild amber hair..

If you take a closer look you'll see.. a bird standing on a branch of a tree.

to that bird there is a tale, it starts with once upon a messing tail...

I met that lonley gray feathered minstrel of spring, his flock departed beyond the sea like all megrants birds do, but he couldn't follow without his lost long wing tail.. in gray to grayish plumage he stood out amongst the green of the park behind my house.. singing, announcing his presence proclaming his territory.... every morning I was joyed to hear his distinctive melody of day break that carried in the freshnies breeze of our morning wanders as he followed us from tree to tree..

until next spring when he had found a partner, despite her long wing tale she decided to stay, to share a nest to share with him a branch of a tree..

four eggs she laid, and the tree where one lonesome shrike stood, was soon covered with 6 healthy singing shrikes, celebrating their new wings among the rustling golden leafs of autumn.

Until one morning I didn't hear their songs of my past year, I searched every park and I looked at every tree, the wild gray feather songsters left without a trace.. and all they left behind is a one signle feather covered with dew.. and a warm memory of a song that still echos within my heart too.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Little Morran

As many of you know, I made a sketch of a pup name Morran for Camilla Engman's The Morran Book Project.

While working on my own contribution, I got to know Morran through the eyes of Camilla while browsing through the photos of her little pup and I started to feel acquainted with Morran while working on her inpsired sketch that I was overwhelmed with sadness upon Camilla's sad announcment of Morran's departure.

Despite the grief, the book project was completed and there were too many contributions for this project that Camilla decided to make two books, one of which includes the jurry's selection of 77 sketch and illustration and the second will include all the 236 contributions. I was honored to have my sketch of little Morran included in both books.

You can browse through the book pages here, and you can purchase the book here.

Also worthy of mentioning that all the book's profit will go to WSPA - World Society for the Protection of Animals - Sweden (WSPA international).

Terri Windling also listed my sketch along with information about the project on her Friday Recommendation post.

This is the first time to have a mention of my work and the first time to have my work published, it sure is exciting and I'm grateful and thankful to Terri, Camilla....

And to you too Morran!

Magic For Terri

I should have posted this earlier alas I just knew about it early this morning myself, and it's still not too late!

The admired editor, artist and writer Terri Windling who has been a great inspiration to me and to many others, lately has been struggling with a seriouse financial crisis due to helath and legal difficulties. Her circle of friends and mystic artists around the world started a fundraising auction to assit her, the auction includes arts, books, collectibles, music and many more delights from the fantasy realm artists and community. Please go here and support by bidding or spreading the word. The bid will end of on December 15 night at 5pm pacific Standard Time.

Terri is surly well deserving of our support.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

The Graceful Visitor

Once upon an early morning doodle of egret, palm & blue lotus...

lurking right outside my balcony..

none but the graceful white egret.

In this isolated part of Cairo, he brought nostalgic memories of the land of water falls and ever turning water wheels, my beloved Faiyum oasis.

Every morning this beautiful creature, exhibit grace with it's noble stature, roaming through the lush greenery of my village....

now he's far away from home.. and so am I

In Africa, the Heron was thought to communicate with the gods. In ancient Egypt, the Heron was honored as the creator of light, nowadays we call it "Abu Qerdan", which means “father of ticks", a name derived from the huge number of parasites such as avian ticks found in its breeding colonies!

The White egret has been conquering my dreams and thoughts of Autumn.

It all started when I was approached to design a logo for Doris Frei, the patron of Little Swiss Oasis, a lovely tiny hotel atop the hill of Tunis Village.

such an exciting comession I must say and Doris has been

the perfect client any artist could ever wish for, she gave me the ultimate freedome to be able to create genuinly with out any interferance.

I found inspiration in the beauty of the egret while he transcend into my sketch book without a plan.. there he is... the majestic egret with his graceful stature with a grape vine leaf-one of the crops my oasis is famous for- entwined into his feet.