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Palestine
- The Exodus and the Odyssey
by Ismail & Tamam Shammout
The Shammouts
are two of the most well-known Palestinian
artists, and this book is about their breath-taking
exhibition, The Exodus and the Odyssey.
The exhibition comprises of 19 murals on
canvas that reflect the entire Palestinian
experience, from the pre-1948 days, through
the Intifada, and ending with "the
dream of tomorrow." The book presents
and discusses each painting, and is mostly
in Arabic but includes brief descriptions
of the paintings, the artists' bios, and
two introductions in English.
About the
Artists
Ismail Shammout
was born in the city of Lydda, Palestine,
in 1930. In 1948, his family was forced
to abandon their hometown and seek shelter
in a refugee camp in Gaza. Two years later,
he enrolled in the College of Fine Arts
in Cairo, and set up his first exhibition
in Gaza in 1953. The following year he set
up an exhibition in Cairo with his colleague
Tamam Al-Akhal, whom he later married. In
1965, Shammout joined the Palestine Liberation
Organization, as Director of Arts and National
Culture. Ismail and Tamam Shammout currently
reside in Amman, Jordan.
Tamam Shammout
was born in the city of Jaffa, Palestine,
in 1935. She also was forced to flee her
hometown in 1948 and ended up in one of
Lebanon's refugee camps. In 1953, she enrolled
in the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in
Cairo. In 1983, following the Israeli aggression
on Lebanon, she and her husband moved from
Lebanon to Kuwait. In 1992, they moved from
Kuwait to Germany due to the Gulf War.
Reviews
"A graphic record, impressive and
poignant, of the Palestinian saga, as witnessed
and personally endured by the Artists themselves."
—Abdul Qader Daher.
Related Links
The
Exodus & The Odyssey Exhibition - Online
The
artists' website
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