|
|
Article: Iraqis mourn death of prominent artist.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- May 27, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: James Janega
BAGHDAD, Iraq _ In what was left of Baghdad's art community, the murder felt like a priceless parchment ripped apart. Khalil al-Zahawi, the Iraqi artist who was one of the Arab world's most prominent calligraphers, had been shot to death on the steps of his home.
Among Iraqis, Sunday's news of Al-Zahawi's death last week was another crushing benchmark of loss. The grandfatherly calligrapher had influenced a generation of Middle Eastern artists from Egypt to Pakistan. His dedication to beauty had been an elegant counterpoint to the devastation of war.
"It is a big sadness," said a quiet Haidar Rabia, professor of Arabic ...