WASHINGTON, 20 October 2007 — Kinda Hibrawi, an Arab-American artist of Syrian descent, is trying to bridge cultural misunderstandings between Arabs and Americans through her artwork.

Although she grew up in Saudi Arabia, and lived 10 years in Dhahran, she found her most creative, and challenging work here in the United States, where she says she is giving Arabic calligraphy a modernist twist.

Her current exhibition is at the Washington-based Jerusalem Fund Gallery; the exhibit is co-sponsored by the Syrian Embassy and will remain on view through Nov. 2.

Currently living in Californina, Hibrawi was born in Riyadh in 1978. She spent her formative years in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain, where she says her artistic sensibility developed.

Hibrawi feels her artwork “reflects the richness of the Middle East’s Arab character coupled with Western diversity.”

Asked if it’s difficult to be an Arab artist in the US, Hibrawi told Arab News in a telephone interview this week that it’s tough for any artist, let alone an Arab artist.

But with that challenge has come an opportunity. Hibrawi said she’s found “there’s great curiosity about the Arab world, and many of my collectors are not of Arab descent. Many Americans like to collect Arabic calligraphy, even though they don’t read it or even understand it.”

Hibrawi is passionate about her position as an artistic ambassador. “I feel I’m bringing a positive awareness of the Arab world, because it is my culture, and that I can bridge two worlds through art.”

She said selling her first painting to a non-Arab was exciting, “it was such a great honor, because I was able to communicate something to them about our culture, which is so rich with art.”

Hibrawi said she uses calligraphy in art because the Arabic language is incredibly rich in symbolism that it takes “about five English words to translate the meaning.”

“I use a lot of words that we, as Arabs, take for granted. These words can be so powerful when you pronounce it, and you see the depths of its meaning. Take the word ‘al Haq’ which means ‘the Truth.’

“When you use Arabic all the time, you forget how powerful these words are, that’s why I say the two different worlds have different views on the artwork. It’s a simple concept, but the word is so powerful in its meaning.”

Hibrawi said for Arabs, “it’s a reminder at how powerful, how romantic, how beautiful Arabic is.

“For Americans, it’s communicated to them visually, and it opens up a dialogue, because people are curious about it and they want to know what it means and what it says.

“Art is a universal language,” said Hibrawi. “It’s not threatening in any way, and it sends out a positive message to the audience in both worlds.”

Her artwork has allowed her to talk to Americans about the Arab world. “It opens a dialogue of these two worlds. In the US, people are hesitant to ask questions, but coming to this exhibition where there is Arabic calligraphy, they can ask questions, and be comfortable.”

Hibrawi finds it interesting that in the US “we call ourselves Arab Americans, but in the Arab world we are fragmented. Here we’re all Arabs, its all uniting.

“If I’m walking down the street and hear someone speaking Arabic, I’ll go up to them go and introduce myself, and there’s an instant bond. Whereas in the Middle East, it’s more fragmented, and I wish it wasn’t. If we could all bond together, the power would be amazing.”