Arab artists: Yousif draws inspiration from sacred birthplace

Yousif al-Dewaik obtained his BA in fine arts in 1985 from Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan.

Born in 1963 in Jerusalem to a family from Hebron, al-Dewaik’s art is blessed with the unique flavors of his birth city.

“My attachment with art is triggered by the Islamic and Christian sacred land,” he said.
Al-Dewaik’s art is inspired by Jerusalem’s rocks and domes, which is also where he honed his character.

“I have been in love with art since my early childhood,” he said.

The artist painted all the alleys of Old Jerusalem as part of his graduation thesis, and the work has remained part of him after the project was completed.

“My paintings of Jerusalem alleys were not mere embodiment of places. They epitomized the spirituality of the area,” al-Dewaik said.

Al-Dewaik made a stylistic shift in the 1990s, introducing fabrics, textiles, and other natural ingredients.

“Artists are always engaged in the constant search for truth, and that is what I mirror in my paintings,” he said.

The wall dividing Palestine was part of the artist’s themes. While it equally divided his paintings, they remained purely Jerusalem in nature.

Al-Dewaik also left behind his street lantern in one of Jerusalem’s old alleys, which is ever-luminescent in his work.

To read more and view Yousif al-Dewaik’s art, please follow the link:
http://enawafeth.alarabiya.net/content/journey-jerusalem-through-colors-and-shadow