He wants to become a renowned artist representing YemenBudding talent needs support [Archives:2003/626/Culture]
March 10 2003
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He was born hearing-impaired in Ukraine because his mother suffered from German measles. The disease couldn't be detected and healed before pregnancy because such diseases were not common in Ukraine. “We did our best to treat Marwan's mother, but to no avail,” Marwan's father, Abduhrahman Shugaaddeen said.
Promising talent
But Marwan has proven that even with such a severe impairment, he can still provide the world with marvelous contributions. His contributions are resembled in fine pieces of art, which truly indicate the budding talent that he has. His skills in drawing and painting are spectacular. Plastic art is what he loves most. With more than 2,000 paintings, he was able to shock his family, friends and relatives.
“Marwan began drawing when he was four years old.” his father tells us. His old and new paintings are all being kept with him in an archive. Many of them are of prominent Arab leaders, Yemeni social figures, landscapes, cars, and traditional Yemeni architecture. Not only that, but his paintings and sketches include details that could be truly astonishing even for expert painters.
Since his infancy, Marwan has showed interest in cars, and gradually he began painting every new or old car model he would see.
Despite his disability, he has good inclination towards everything new and beautiful, and he would convey messages to others of the things he loves or hates using his pencil and brushes to bring to a life a lively and wonderful portrait.
Can his dream be fulfilled?
However, it is unfortunate that not many organizations or establishments -foreign or local- have expressed their desire to encourage or help Marwan achieve his dreams of becoming a professional artist. His father left no stone unturned to find means of providing Marwan with proper education in a specialized school for teaching the disabled so as when he graduates, he could be accepted in a college that teaches professional paintings. “There are no decent specialized schools for the handicapped in Yemen. Thus I do fear for his academic future” Marwans's father said.
“If there are such schools, then you would find no supervision or interest in enhancing them to rise to international standards or at least to meet the lowest acceptable standards.” he added.
Indeed, many have complained that no qualified cadres exist in those schools and even the curriculum taught is not good enough.
In order to assist handicapped talented children in enhancing their talents, skills, and abilities, the society and government should take greater measures to train cadres to be able to handle their jobs more adequately.
“Not only that.” the father commented. “The government needs to provide those teachers more financial incentives and better salaries, because only then will they be loyal to their professions and abide by high standards.”
Moments of inspiration
Marwan's talents are exposed to the maximum when the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. Only then will he demonstrate his abilities in painting various pieces that turn out to be marvels. “I realized that Marwan has no specific time to paint. I am sometimes taken by surprise when I find that Marwan produced yet another interesting sketch of anything. Yes indeed, in his paintings, anything is expected.” Abdulrahman said.
“He likes to be alone when painting. Sometimes, he gets inspired in the middle of the night and starts painting immediately How wonderful a feeling it is when you see your son lying on his bed early in the morning next to a completely spectacular painting, which he painted the earlier night.”
Equal treatment
Something unique about Marwan's family among many families with disabled children is that it treats all its members equally, including Marwan. “He is placed on equal footing as his brother Rasheed, and never has his disability made us treat him otherwise. As a matter of fact, painting so elegantly demonstrates that he does have peace of mind and I am happy for him.”
Talent in his blood
Painting along with playing computer games seem to be almost everything in life for him. He can't afford even thinking of the idea of staying away from his painting brush, canvas and boards for a single day. He is also fortunate that he has loving, caring, and understanding parents.
“He may be deaf, but he has a heart, he has a mind, and he has a soul. He sometimes falls in tears when watching TV and seeing the miseries Palestinian brothers are going through. The number of paintings on this particular issue is enormous.”
Exhibition sponsors needed
At the end of our visit to his home, we saw Marwan pointing at the many sketches and drawing hung on the walls of his humble house and communicating with his father using sign language. “He says he wants to have his own exhibition sometime in the future.” his father told us.
Marwan, his father and his whole family hope that an organization would rise up to the occasion and give a helping hand to Marwan by sponsoring an painting exhibition in which he would reveal and sell his paintings to the public. He wants to pursue his studies abroad after he grows up and wants to specialize in painting.
No doubt, this talented young boy deserves the support and help of the world to make him believe in his dream and encourage him to take the first step towards becoming who could one day become an international professional artist representing Yemen.
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