Al Masry Alyoum

 

The original article in the Arabic language
ِAt : Al Masry Alyoum Newspaper Website http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=257480&IssueID=1790

The article translate to English by: Youssef Mohammed

 

 

Saad Romani … Micro Mosaic.. The steadfastness of the art against the factors of time


by: Mohammed Kafrawi 


A rare artistic talent appears in his artworks that generates an overwhelming feelling, where art interferes with philosophy to create an artistic, difficult and unique work. This is represented in the plates of the artist Saad Romani, who was described by some critics as the pioneer of micro mosaic art in Egypt and the world. Last month, The Opera House hall witnessed an exhibition for him, which included 39 plates, created by him in 18 years.

Romanian spoke about this art, saying:

“The Micro Mosaic is a complex art, which is one of the most difficult visual arts, as it requires dealing with different materials in a certain way to obtain a work of art. My studies at the Department of Interior Design at Faculty of Fine Arts helped me in this art, where I gained considerable experience in dealing with various materials. Although I worked for a period a decorative engineer and jewelry designer in one of the major Arab companies, the micro mosaic art attracted me, through its special potentials and its formulation ability. It also gives the artwork an added value, where the plate is solid enough to stay immortal. This art represents the steadfastness against the factors of time.”

Romani is a member of the British Modern Mosaic Art Society and the American Society for Mosaic Artists. His exhibition was the first of its kind for this art and witnessed broad acceptance of the public as well as critics’ interest, as his works are characterized by sincerity of feeling, and the accurate delivery of details to the recipient.


Romani explains: “If I wrote dozens of books to prove that the mosaic artist is capable of making global plates bearing the third dimension, such as the artworks of the Renaissance, no one would have believed me. So, the plate was the most capable means to prove that fact. Indeed, I could carry out plates not only bearing the third dimension, but also the “philosophical” fourth dimension, in order to confirm the value of this art and its capabilities. I lived with the plates for a long time I spent it in research and study, in drawing the sketches and then in implementation. Romani’s plates are various, and their subjects came out of his choices, convictions and his personal love. They varied between plates out of his inspired artistic imagination, other universal plates such as Samson and Delilah, work of Van Gogh, portraits such as Naguib Mahfouz, Omar El-Sharif, Robert De Nero, Tchaikovsky and Oprah Winfrey, religious icons such as the  Jesus Christ picture or plates inspired from the ancient Egyptian history such as Cleopatra.


Romani adds: “If the brush and colors are the tools of the artist, may tools are the forceps and small pieces of glass pulp. My first goal is to deliver the sense through the plate. I also work to revive this art, which was ignored and kept away since long time due to its difficulty. Though I spent 18 years in completion of the 39 plates, which was shown in the exhibition, but I do not regret it, as each plate, according to the testimony of top critics, represents a school of art. He stresses that this art is capable of accommodating all schools of art, from expressionism to abstraction, influential and other schools.”


Romani seeks to communicate more than one artistic message through his plates; the first message is the revival of this art, which flourished in the Renaissance era, then declined after it. Second message is the ability of this art to communicate feelings and emotions to the recipient. The third message is the possibility of this art to turn from fixed murals, as it used to be for many people, into a motional plate that is capable of moving from one place to another, and can be acquired, thus, the artwork can be then perpetuated. He said: “In my exhibition, I ruled out the idea of acquisition or sale of the plates, because my first goal is to revive this art and communicate it to people. Therefore, it is necessary to show my plates in more than one place and to different audience each time. So, I required from every one who wants to acquire a plate that I’ll keep it for show in an exhibition which will be held from 24 to 30 June in the Coptic Museum, I will also hold another exhibition at Mahmoud Said Museum in Alexandria. I will participate in a Conference in the British Association in October this year and I want to emphasize that the capabilities of this art are endless”