Book Review

“Female Shadow and Light” a book by a Syrian writer on the experience of feminist plastic art in Austria

Damascus (ST): “Female Shadow and Light” is a book by Syrian writer Talal Mortada about the women’s plastic experience in Austria.

Mortada begins the book with a historical overview of plastic life in Austria and its capital, Vienna, which he likens to Damascus, pointing out that he collected this book from newspaper articles published on women’s artistic experiences.

During a symposium on the book held by the Cultural Center in Abu Rumaneh, critic Omar Jumaa referred to the writer and critic Mortada’s endeavor to build a bridge of artistic communication between Vienna and Damascus through his book, referring to the Austrian society’s view of woman artists  whose active role cannot be denied in countries that have lived through the scourge of wars. He reviews the chapters of the book and refers to Mortada’s critical view of Austrian women artists and his reading of their works.

Artist Talal Bitar also pointed out that  Mortada presented the Austrian plastic movement from a literary vision rather than an artistic one, and the reason is that he is a writer who sees with the eye of the creator of letter, not the creator of color, stressing that the importance of the book stems from being a bridge to communicate with Austria and introducing us to names and works that formed part of the artistic movement in Austria.

The media evening was coordinated by Ilham Sultan, who showed a documentary film in which she introduced Mortada’s biography and literary works and the paintings of artists, the subject of the book, noting that Mortada is a Syrian poet, writer, doctor and member of the Union of Palestinian Writers and Journalists.

K.Q.