Turkish Muezzin Seeking Global Attention by Unique Leather Art
Artist Naji Barishan has so far drawn 50 Islamic monuments on pieces of leather and is after holding galleries in the US and Australia, Anadolu reported.
Residing in Ankara, he became interested in arts of calligraphy and miniature when in high school. This interest led him to study fine arts in Istanbul’s Marmara University.
After graduation, he became a muezzin in a mosque in Mamak district of Ankara but the duties did not block his passion for painting.
Speaking to Anadolu, Barishan said he has turned one of the rooms in his house into a workshop for painting on leather.
Spending some seven years in Australia, he got acquainted with different cultures which led to progress in his art. The works he saw in Australia inspired him to start drawing on leather pieces.
Explaining the reason behind choosing leather over other materials, the artist said leather is an ancient and traditional material, pointing to the inscription of Quran on leather pieces in the history.
Iraq’s Malwiya Mosque, the Great Mosque of Herat in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s Wazir Khan Mosque are among his drawings.
