Aramaic Puzzle: Alap Beit
30" x 36"
Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
Out of order, cropped and displaced, this piece examines the relationship of Assyrians with their Aramaic language, a relationship distinguished by a rich ancient history, a medieval Christain Syriac heritage, cultural values and customs, as well as survival from genocide, upheaval, assimilation, and current political and religious struggles in our homeland, Iraq.
Each letterform is cropped to examine our memory for a distinct visual form, the letters unique identifying factor. The juxtaposition of letters in the checkerboard enhances but also confuses our recognition of the letter. As we strive to recognize our letters, we strengthen our ties to our mothertongue despite the attractions of assimilation and the punishments of dispersal.
The oldest continuously written and spoken language of the Middle East is in disarray, almost lost.
25 years later, I dug out my Assyrian language notebooks. Was that really how well I wrote, I was barely a teen! Today, I seldom dream in Assyrian.
In the last page of my Assyrian notebook, I come across English sentences, with the mention of the work Cheap cakewalk Cheap Borland Cheap Software Cheap AutoCAD 2005
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