Abdulrahman Naanseh: Letters in Isolation

June 13 – September 9, 2023
Buchanan Partners Gallery @ Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas

About the Exhibit

“The word is a combination of letters. They come together to say something. So, the question is, what does each letter say on its own?”

Letters in Isolation features the Arabic calligraphy of Syrian artist Abdulrahman Naanseh. The exhibit showcases the artist's new explorations and study of individual Arabic letters and sounds, aiming to understand their essence and significance as the fundamental building blocks of human connection and communication. Through meticulous analysis, Naanseh deconstructs Arabic words into their constituent parts and then reconstructs them visually, using his command of the calligraphic form to give the letters newfound freedom in their expression and movement. Continually seeking subtle transformations and nuances in the interplay of the written and spoken word, Naanseh’s work is a dialogue with the diverse voices, accents, ideas, and histories of his homeland and the Arabic speaking world.

The exhibit also includes selected works that incorporate phrases and poems that are important to the artist and have an emotional resonance with his experience as a displaced artist. Many of these works draw inspiration from the poetic phrase by the Syrian poet, Ammar Hamoudi, "Her absence makes me argue about trivial matters." This expression resonates on a deeply personal level for Naanseh, as it reminds him of the losses he has endured and the voids that persist in his life. It is also representative of the quiet irony, curiosity, and longing at the heart of his unique artistic enterprise.

Portrait of the artist, abdulrahman naanseh

About the Artist

Syrian artist Abdulrahman Naanseh learned Arabic calligraphy with the support of his father, a self-taught calligrapher. Naanseh has excelled in this field with exhibitions at the Arneli Art Gallery during the Beit Misk Festival in Beirut, murals at Damascus University, solo exhibitions in Syria in 2002 and 2005, and recent solo exhibits at Mason Exhibitions Arlington, the Gillespie Gallery of Art, and Fenwick Gallery at GMU.

Naanseh is an Artist Protection Fund Fellow and the 2022 Artist-in-Residence at George Mason University’s School of Art. The Artist Protection Fund(APF) fills a critical unmet need by awarding threatened artists and placing them at welcoming host institutions in safe countries where they can continue their work and plan for their futures. APF places these artists in safe havens for a full year and provides fellowship funding, mentoring, and inclusion in a comprehensive network of artistic and social support. Naanseh is currently an Adjunct Professor teaching Drawing and Arabic Calligraphy courses for George Mason University’s School of Art.

View more of Naanseh’s work on Instagram, @_naanseh.