Archiving Arab Art
When Sara Jazara ’15 discovered that most Arab art ends up in private collections and is never seen by the public, she decided to make it her life’s mission to change that. BY AHMED KHALAYLEH '15
Untitled – Juliana Seraphim
Fatigued Ten Horses Converse with Nothing – Kadhim Hayder
Sara Jazara ’15 working at Local Industries
W
ith a quick Google search, the entirety of Ai Weiei’s works can find its way onto one’s screen, complete with dates, descriptions, titles and any other information one might need. Attempt the same with Shakir Hassan Al Said, one of Iraq’s most influential artists, and one might need to do much more than a quick Google search. Resources and institutions that successfully archive Arab art are few and far between, a fact that Sara Jazara ’15 refuses to accept. 34
BEYOND KING’S
“Someone has to create this archive,” she says, “so I will.” Jazara’s interest in art, particularly Arab art, was sparked in the classroom back at King’s, where she took AP Art History. “I’ve always loved art, and AP Art History solidified that,” she says. “Art reveals so much about culture, and I find that fascinating.” While the AP course could be considered the first step towards her career as an art historian and archivist, it was a senior elective that marked the beginning Jazara’s dedication to her own history: The Modern Middle East. In this course,
Jazara learned about the Arab world’s more recent history, including the Suez Crisis, Algerian independence, the Nakbeh, and other moments in Arab history that shaped Jordan and the region. “How did I know so much about the Roman Empire and almost nothing about what happened just two generations ago!?” Jazara says, adding, “that course definitely sparked a flame.” When it came time to apply to universities, Jazara knew that she wanted to pursue art history, and what better place to do so than Florence,