Arts

Acclaimed poet, teacher and translator Khaled Mattawa has been awarded a United States Artist Fellowship for 2010. The unrestricted $50,000 grant is one of 52 awards presented this year to visual, design, performing and literary artists from 18 states and Puerto Rico. Mattawa, associate professor of English language and literature, teaches in the Graduate Creative … Continued

Wafaa Bilal may not have eyes in the back of his head, but he will soon have the next best thing to it: a digital camera. The Iraqi-American performance artist and New York University assistant professor plans to implant a thumb-sized camera in the back of his noggin and stream live images from it to … Continued

The “What it means to me to be Arab American” art exhibit continues through Wednesday, December 8, 2010, at the Duderstadt Center Gallery on the North Campus of the University of Michigan. Organized by a student group within the course, “Introduction to Arab American Studies” with Professor Nadine Naber, the exhibit features photographs and artwork … Continued

The directions to Lebanese artist Pascal Hachem’s studio include these enigmatic details: “Near Cinema Vendôme (used to exist – now it is an empty plot). There is a stair (a long one).” Hachem, born in Beirut in 1979, lives and works in a small concrete bunker at the bottom of a large house on a … Continued

Ahmad Minkara of DIA Magazine speaks with artist Jaber Alwan. Your work is centered around women. Who is the archetypal woman you keep in mind in your work? “I am not the first one to paint women. Women are ubiquitous in the history of painting beginning with the Greeks…. I document the female in all … Continued

Lotfi Bouchnak’s exploration of varied genres has propelled him to international fame. Whether he sings malouf music, plays the oud or teams up with popular rap bands, Bouchnak continues to attract fans and win international awards. Born in 1954 in Tunis, Lotfi Bouchnak was a student of the late Ali Sriti. He first gained recognition … Continued

Egyptian authorities stopped two people suspected in the theft of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, nabbing them just moments before they were to board a plane and flee the country, according to Egypt’s official news agency, MENA. Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosni said in a statement Saturday night that efforts to recover the stolen … Continued

It has no official website, no signs on the streets directing to it and no paved roads leading to it, but once you have reached your destination, you are magically transported into a world that not many people know exists. Located just off Arabian Gulf Road in the Sharq district of Kuwait in one of … Continued

How did your journey start as an artist? “First, I grew up in a home where there were paintings on the wall. My father painted, and his last oil painting was done when I was 2 months old. I never thought that I had the predilection to be an artist while growing up. At 17 … Continued