Emirati, Greek illustrators discuss visual interpretations at TIBF

The session, orchestrated by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), brought together artists Nasser Nasrallah, Rashid Al, Mulla, Alia Al Hammadi, Daniela Stemtiadi, Vassilios Grivas, and Antonios Nikolopolis. These illustrators had recently participated in an artistic initiative in Sharjah named “Philosophies,” which facilitated collaborative artworks and created a platform for exchange between Emirati and Greek cultures.

Artistic portrayals of iconic quotes
Reflecting on the results of the initiative, Nasser Nasrallah shared his experience interpreting the philosopher Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi’s quote, “Wisdom is insight,” by taking a creative approach and portraying mythical characters in his artwork. Daniela Stemtiadi, on the other hand, selected a quote from the Greek philosopher Plato, “The hardship in the path of goodness is beautiful; surely the hardship will fade away, and only the goodness will remain.” Using digital techniques in a watercolour style, she described her paintings as a narrative journey with a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

Rashid Al Mulla chose the philosopher Aristotle's quote, “There is no great genius without a touch of madness,” explaining that he selected this quote because it reflects, in some way, the concept of symmetry, which aligns with his artistic style. Greek artist Vassilios Grivas worked on Socrates’ quote, “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think,” transforming scenes from Socrates’ life into visual works using black and white techniques,  and depicting Socrates with three heads to signify the multiple dimensions of his philosophy.

Artist Alia Al Hammadi presented three black-and-white works based on the quote, “Humanity's existence is dependent on cooperation” by philosopher Ibn Khaldun, where she explored Ibn Khaldun’s central theory regarding societies and civilisations, which suggests that civilisations go through three stages: emergence, development, and decline. Drawing inspiration from Ibn Rushd's quote, “Wisdom is the consideration of things as they are in their nature,” artist Antonios Nikolopolis used his artistic flair to portray Ibn Rushd’s personality and philosophies, depicting his traditional attire and features, and incorporating elements of Greek philosophy, such as a statue of Plato.