
Mahrooseh: Lebanon’s Art on the Road
William Tracy
Falak Shawwa.
2019, Rimal Books, 978-9-96371-5-169, €30 hb.
The expression “Art is in the eyes of the beholder” certainly applies to the calligraphy and colorfully patterned art adorning the Middle Eastern cargo trucks photographed for this slim volume. Mahrooseh (protected) is among the most common slogans or proverbs chosen by truckers to decorate their vehicles—a custom that began in the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting the cultural richness and diversity found in the gardens, mountains and deserts of the Levant. Most phrases are written in white on red, though some green appears when cedar trees occasionally become part of a truck’s livery. Detailed captions accompany each photo, with an English translation of the proverb, along with a typed version of the original handwritten Arabic calligraphy. Readers familiar with the Middle East and those interested in unusual, original art forms will find this book particularly interesting.
You may also be interested in...
Novel Reimagines 1001 Nights With a Feminine Take
Jamila Ahmed takes on classic folktales with a newfound feminine perspective in historical fiction novel.Child's Play: Reconstructing Everyday Life of Youth in Ancient Egypt
Egyptologist Amandine Marshall observes how the depictions of children created by Ancient Egyptians seldom illustrated their actual lives.Noorjahan Bose: A Life of Learning
Taking inspiration from her now-deceased mother, Noorjahan Bose, a daughter of the Agunmukha, Bangladesh, now shifts her energy toward empowering other daughters.