Coinciding with World Arabic Language Day, the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Arts organized a cultural and artistic event that affirmed the esteemed position of the Arabic language as a fundamental pillar of identity and an authentic source of artistic creativity linked to the language of the Holy Quran and its profound aesthetic and cultural values.
On behalf of the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Dr. Malek Al-Sharairi, the Vice President, Professor Dr. Ruba Al-Batayneh, sponsored the university's celebration of World Arabic Language Day, which was organized by the Department of Arabic Language and Literature in the Faculty of Arts, in cooperation with the Faculty of Fine Arts, in Al-Kindi Auditorium.
The celebration included the opening of a visual arts exhibition entitled "Manifestations of Arabic Script in Painting" in front of Al-Kindi Auditorium in the Faculty of Arts. The opening was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, several other deans, faculty and administrative staff members, participating students, and university students.
Vice President Al-Batayneh and the attendees toured the exhibition, which featured a collection of distinguished artworks showcasing the students' talents and creativity in the fields of drawing and visual arts. Al-Batayneh praised the high artistic quality of the exhibited works and the students' ability to utilize Arabic calligraphy as an artistic element and a means of expressing aesthetic and human values. She emphasized the university's ongoing support for artistic and cultural activities that contribute to developing creativity and strengthening the sense of belonging to the university community.
This exhibition, which included more than 70 artworks produced by students of the Department of Fine Arts, is the result of an artistic initiative launched by Dr. Mohammed Salem Bani Ahmed as part of his teaching courses between 2017 and 2020. The initiative aimed to draw inspiration from Arabic calligraphy as an aesthetic and visual element that connects rich artistic heritage with contemporary artistic visions, thereby contributing to enhancing the students' role in artistic and cultural creativity, raising the levels of human thought and knowledge, and refining the creative energies of the department's students.
Bani Ahmad noted that this initiative is a significant artistic experience for students, contributing to the development of a Jordanian visual artist who is aware of their identity, culture, and national history, while also reinforcing the value of arts and culture in society. He explained that this event supports the goals of the Department of Fine Arts at the Faculty of Fine Arts, particularly in empowering students and enhancing the presence of the Arabic language in visual arts. This aligns with the department's strategic plan and Yarmouk University's vision, which has made culture and the arts a key driver of national development.
He added that the exhibition presents a new and comprehensive artistic vision of calligraphy, rooted in diversity and transcendence. It reinterprets Arabic script through abstract art and an openness to the question of freedom, employing blended materials and elements that underscore the relevance of this art form and the necessity of its contemporary presence. He pointed out that calligraphy, throughout ancient and modern Islamic history, has constituted one of the most prominent and richest aesthetic experiences, witnessing creative transformations that moved from grounding itself in tradition and drawing inspiration from heritage to its artistic explosion and the invention of dynamic and unconventional methods and techniques. These transformations established profound relationships between form and content, producing works of creative artistic energy, with the Arabic letter as their essence and driving force.
At the conclusion of the event, the exhibited works received widespread interaction and remarkable appreciation from the students and attendees, reflecting an advanced artistic level and a mature creative vision. This demonstrated the students' ability to approach the Arabic letter as a living visual component and a contemporary means of expression. This event, coinciding with World Arabic Language Day, affirmed the university's pivotal role in nurturing creative talents, enhancing the presence of the Arabic language in the visual arts, and solidifying culture as a fundamental pillar of identity and intellectual development, within an academic environment that believes in creativity and supports its continuity.
