The original article in the Arabic language at : Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Newspaper Website : 

http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=54&article=574959&issueno=11529
The article translate to English by: Youssef Mohammed

Cairo hosts the first exhibition in the world for Micro-Mosaic Art

39 mosaic artwork were carried out in 18 years

Cairo: Muhammad Ajam

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England may not believe that her picture had been drawn in almost two years! However, this is what actually happened with the Egyptian artist Saad Romani, when he drew her painting in micro-mosaic.  

Any visitor to the Hall of Fine Arts in the Egyptian Opera House may see this painting in the first exhibition for micro-mosaic art, which is considered the first exhibition of its kind in the world.

The exhibition comprises 38 other paintings, which preparation took 18 years. One micro-mosaic painting may take a year or two of work, where each painting contains tens of thousands of micro pieces that constitute it.

The artist Saad Romani says to the “Middle East”: the mosaic art is a human art and is one of the first arts known to the primitive man, who was interested in the existence of artistic configurations, through compiling a collection of colored natural stones or natural ingredients. Of course, this was not in the current form, but in a simplified way. We can also see this in the rural and Bedouin homes. However, the art of mosaic in general can be defined as a set of stones with various types, shapes and sizes, when placed next to each other, they will form a shape of artful significance. Some precious stones such as rubies, aquamarine, turquoise and emerald may be added. This art had a share of prosperity in the Renaissance era, and from it grew the micro-mosaic art, that stems from the same idea of composing paintings and creative configurations, which flourished particularly in the palaces of kings and sultans.

Romani differentiates between micro mosaic and regular, saying: “A painting of regular mosaic needs a number of different stones, but the micro-mosaic painting needs stones 400 times more than those needed by the regular mosaic painting. Micro mosaic is more precise, more expressive and more able to deliver creative ideas. This art is also difficult, and its difficulty is represented in handling and commandment of these stones to express the human feelings or ideas. as dealing with them and their adaptation is the biggest obstacle in handling this art by any artist who exercise it. Thus, there is scarcity in the number of artists in the world who have worked in this art and who may not exceed the fingers of one hand”.

When the tour among the paintings, you will see that each of them was chosen very carefully and you will imagine the artistic effort exerted in it and the long time for implementing each of them. These are paintings for Naguib Mahfouz, Fairuz, Omar Al-Sharif, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein and Beethoven. There are paintings simulating world renowned paintings such as Romeo and Juliet, along with paintings that reflect the Arab horse and the fruit plate. All these paintings are highly welcomed by artists from countries around the world, led by the artist Gisela Gibbon, who is an expert in the global mosaic art at the World Association of British Mosaic Art.

the exhibitor, wandering among his paintings, added: “Although the mosaic is everywhere around us but the art has not been given its right of estimation. It has the history and artistic entrenchment that make us celebrate it and take care of it. So, I tried to revive this art and deliver an artistic message through my paintings. This message says that this high-level art is capable of survival and immortality because it is made of solid raw materials, which are not affected by weather or the surroundings. I was frequently asked why I chose the hard way, and my answer is that there is a personal motivation behind it. I would say to myself if there was a person who can do that, so I am entitled to be that person.”

Regarding the long time the micro-mosaic art takes, Romani confirms saying “It is important not to measure the paintings by the time in the implementation of lesson results, how much of the time wasted to no avail, and the artistic value of the painting acquired value of the artwork is located inside, it was able to to reach a technical idea or not, and in the art Micro-Mosaic artist chosen as the best raw materials and treated carefully and with great interest in painting has been able to withstand long ».