Tarab: The Colors of Music

ART – MUSIC – CULTURE

Exhibition
12 May – 26 June 2006

 

Tarab: The Colors of Music


paintings by

Khalil Bendib – Nabila Hilmi – Fayeq Oweis
Helen Zughaib – Afaf Zurayk

Tarab is one of the most important terms in the musical aesthetics of Arab culture.  While difficult to translate precisely, tarab refers to a state of heightened emotionality in response to music, often translated as rapture, ecstasy or enchantment, as well as joy or sadness. Using line, color, motion and space, the five artists in this exhibit explore the intersections of music and emotion with the visual image. From the whimsical, color-saturated patterns of Zughaib’s precise compositions, to Oweis’ calligraphic variations on a theme, to Bendib’s nostalgic ceramic tile paintings of Moroccan and Algerian scenes, to the blocks of color and fluid lines of Zurayk’s reflective works, to the assertive and rhythmic lines of Hilmi’s drawings, the pieces in this show capture the transcendence of music and the mystery of its effects on the human soul.