Ashoura in Clay, Soon in Stop Motion
Nour Rida
Eccentric expression of ideas, thoughts, concepts, and occasions carve deep into the minds of people. It also raises questions in the minds of those who know little, or maybe do not know anything about a certain event and hence stimulates their desire to know more, to understand and cognize.
Commemorating the coming of Muharram, the rich school of Ashoura, a polymer clay artist, originally a fresh Graphic designer graduate created a full setting to the Karbala battle with clay.
Abeer Mrad, a Lebanese Graphic designer who has been recently commemorating different events through her clay work, told al-Ahed news that she has found her passion for this type of art, describing it as an interesting and effective tool to express herself on the different occasions.
Hence, she has been using this skill in all campaigns she takes part in, whether on Islamic occasions, Resistance occasions, or any other beneficial campaigns that go online.
With the help of social media, she has been able to "photo-shoot" her work and post it on her facebook account, which includes followers from different backgrounds and nationalities.
"It all started when I executed my university project using clay and stop motion, when I fell in love with this art. I believe it is a creative means of expressing ideas, even an entire story," she said.
People who have viewed her work so far believe it is creative and inspiring. "My friends who come from different backgrounds find the work as really ingenious. But what I like the most about it, is that I was able to draw the story of Imam Husssein for all, the young and the old, to demonstrate the tragedy that had taken place there, in a land where even feeding infants were hardheartedly killed."
Abeer, who plans on presenting a stop-motion project soon on the epic of Ashoura, will reveal her work on the 40th of Imam Hussein, when millions of Shiites pilgrim to Karbala to pay pledge to Imam Hussein the martyrs.
Quoting Imam Hussein, Lady Zeinab, or even other slogans said over history on the Karbala school, Abeer used some of these on her images. She believed each quote is an independent lesson to each and every human being on this planet.
According to the Graphic designer, the feedback has been encouraging, and people have asked to see more stories drawn by clay. She assured that all means of art can mirror an important message that can be worth a thousand words.
Ashura, the tenth day of the Hijri month of Muharram, a day in which Shia Muslims across the globe pay tribute to the greatest sacrifice for the sake of God in human history. That's' because in the battle of Karbala, Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam and his 72 companions, with infants at their bosom, chose martyrdom rather than evil and weakness. Such was the greatness of Imam Hossein and his spiritual power, which even today uplifts his followers to the heights of supreme courage and sacrifice.
The tragedy of Ashura continues to evoke the deepest emotions in the Islamic world, where every year Shia Muslims hold small and large processions to honor this tragic day.
History has seen numerous massacres of innocent people, but the tragedy of Karbala is one of the few where men, women and children were subjected to hunger, thirst, and death because they believed that Imam Hossein stood for righteousness. Little wonder that for over 1400 years Shia Muslims have been nurturing the tale of Karbala in their hearts like an open wound, lest they should forget the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hossein and his followers.
Ashura symbolizes the eternal struggle of truth against falsehood and the battle against injustice and cruelty realized by Imam Hussein as he offered supreme sacrifice to uphold the principles against tyranny.
