- Title: SYRIA: Syrian sculptor represents the world's ancient civilisations on one rock
- Date: 26th August 2008
- Summary: (MER1) DARA'A, SYRIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE OF ROCK BEING SCULPTED WITH WRITING IN ARABIC BEHIND THE ROCK READING "A ROCK OF PEACE AND LOVE TO THE WORLD" THE KA'ABA IN MECCA AND AN EGYPTIAN OBELISK SCULPTURED IN ROCK VARIOUS OF SCULPTOR IBRAHIM ABAZID WORKING WIDE OF THE ROCK SCULPTURE
- Embargoed: 10th September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVAAA4GH5OOAQQMQ1WHQ77UZBUCP
- Story Text: Ibrahim Abazid, a 34 year old sculptor, works on a sculpture through which he attempts to represent all the world's ancient civilizations. The sculpture is made out of a 117 tonne piece of rock, and Abazid estimates it will take about four years to complete.
Ibrahim Abazid, a 34 year-old sculptor, has been working on a piece of artwork through which he hopes to portray all the major ancient civilizations that have existed on Earth.
The sculpture is being carved into a 117-tonne rock and will need about four years to complete.
"The length of this rock is seven metres, its width is two metres and its height is three metres. It is sculpted into the shape of a cultural book which includes all the old civilizations of the world. It is like a tree, each branch of which carries a civilisation that existed on this Earth,"
said sculptor Ibrahim Abazid.
Ibrahim began his hobby from the tender age of four when he used to take his mother's soap bars and make shapes out of them. By the age of 12, he was carving shapes out of small rocks.
He now works on large stones and rocks from near-by mountains, using simple traditional stone carving and sculpting tools.
Abazid studies pictures of monuments of ancient civilizations on the internet in order to gather the information he needs to make the sculptures.
"I live in the world of each civilisation I work on. For example, when I was working on the Phoenician civilisation I felt like I was sailing with them in their ships. Because they have no traces when we read about them but their civilisation exists," he told Reuters.
As well as sculpting large rocks, Abazid can also carve out shapes from small stones weighing a few grams. His workshop includes many small statuettes and pieces of pottery.
Despite his self-taught talent, Ibrahim has not had much public exposure. He says there is a lack of support from the government for his hobby.
"I hope that officials would take a look at this huge piece of work or at Syria as a whole, so that they can bring the spotlight on Ibrahim, even if it is a small part," said Motaz Abazid, Ibrahim's brother.
Ibrahim cannot afford to display his sculptures and carvings in an atelier so he has resorted to displaying them in his own small workshop. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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