NOVEMBER 2014

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ARTS and entertainment Mesopotamian roots shine through E’rootha art show BY CRYSTAL KASSAB JABIRO PHOTOS BY RAZIK TOMINA 1 3 5 7 1. Crystal Ajja 2. Jessica Shammami and Nancy Sadik 3. Stephanie Bahoura and Fr. Andrew Seba 4. Dan Ionescu and Scott Najor 5. Rita Abbo, Maria Ammori, Chris Ammori and Karen Shounia 6. Matthew Seba, Melanie Elias, Meiada Elias, Candace Yono and Anthony Yasso 7. Reema Naman 8. Mark Georgies and Michael Pola 2 4 6 8 There is no greater time than now to boast about the rich cultural heritage of Iraq, and E’rootha’s sixth annual art exhibit showcased this through sculptures, paintings and glass carvings that reflect the traditions of Iraq’s earliest people. The show took place October 14 at the San Marino Club in Troy. Thamer (Tom) Bashi, remarked, “Right now, the only way our young people truly see the motherland is through art.” Bashi attended the University of Baghdad’s Agricultural School where he once participated in an art show before moving to the U.S. in 1978. Though he had an artistic knack since he was a kid, the 62-year-old never seriously drew until the beginning of this year with the encouragement of his wife, Amy, who set up a room with art supplies. “When I worked at the store, I would draw on the formica of the store counter,” he said. “Then I would spray it clean with Windex and draw something else. It was a relief from the hectic nature of the business.” In fact, his “Family Guy” drawing is still there on the counter, even though he sold the store and retired three years ago. Bashi said the new owner and regular customers still like it. Bashi’s favorite pieces include “Abu Ghraib,” a depiction of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers. He was very upset a decade ago when the media reported human rights abuses that occurred after the U.S. “liberated” the prison. He also loves “Baghdaditee” because it highlights everything in Iraq through the years, including a picture of King Nebuchadnezzar. “I just draw from my imagination,” said Bashi, whose preferred medium is pencil. “I just use my mind.” Cassidy Kassab also draws from her mind’s eye, and she mostly paints anatomical pictures with theological undertones. “I’m drawn to the human body and I see it as a manifestation of God,” said Kassab, 22. “The body is God’s creation and I am fascinated by that.” She was a little girl when she started drawing with her brother 34 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2014
Adwar Kassa, Gina Koki and Matthew Kalasho Danny, a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who used art as therapy. In fact, all the children in her family developed a natural inclination towards art. And that is why she likes to do portraits — so one can see the depth of a person. In “Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Kassab details the four corners of the world through an anatomical-looking heart and includes gold leafing complete with a Latin title, Sacrum Cor Jesu, which she believes leads people to focus on the intense emotion. “I want it to be a catharsis for someone who looks at it,” she said. “As an artist, you have to know the rules to break the rules a little.” And for that, Kassab got multiple offers on her pieces that night. Mark Georgies knows the rules to creating glass art, and he uses them in his custom designs. He began painting as a child in Iraq, and when he immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 after high school, he enrolled in art classes at Macomb Community College. It was then he began doing glass work and painting on the side in addition to his full-time work at a store. Georgies, who custom designed the stained-glass windows at Sacred Heart Chaldean Church in Detroit nearly 15 years ago, hand-etches the glass with a sandblaster, and in some cases, uses templates to find the best picture and etches over those. Technology has allowed him to be even more creative in his glass designs. At the E’rootha show, he exhibited a piece with Hammurabi and Cuneiform, as well as one with literary mythical hero Gilgamesh and some script from the story once written Sabah Wazi and Matthew Kalasho on clay tablets. His paintings were equally culturally driven, especially for the present situation as Christians face genocide in Iraq. “Chaldaya” depicts the Aramaic letter S for Suraya (Christian) in the shape of a heart with other Aramaic letters falling into a background blue abyss. To Georgies, it shows the shattering of the Christians, namely the Chaldean people. “My message is to know your heritage,” he said. “Learn it and be proud of it as Chaldean-Americans.” Munir (Michael) Pola is certainly proud of his culture. He was outraged at the Smithsonian’s placement of Hammurabi artifacts in the “Persian” section on his visit to Washington, D.C. He immediately drew a picture of the signers of the Constitution next to Hammurabi writing his codes of law and sent it to President George W. Bush in 2005. He received a kind reply. “How could you confuse our history?” asked Pola in disbelief. Like Georgies, Pola studied art at Macomb Community College and graduated with a certification in Art Appreciation. He truly embraces his culture, and, though he is from Alquosh, considers himself Assyrian. “I am a universal person,” he said. “I represent all my people, from Iraq to America.” He believes in a unified people with a cause — to preserve the history and culture of the Mesopotamians. After all, that is part of Erootha’s plan. “I want my people to see that art is the signature of our culture,” Pola said. “Use it to make a difference.” NOVEMBER 2014 CHALDEAN NEWS 35
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