Biography

Ousama Lazkani is a Syrian artist, holds degrees in fine arts from Syria, and MA degree in printmaking from China, and is an assistant professor at the Damascus Faculty of Fine Arts. Ousama is currently a PhD. Fine Art candidate in Aberystwyth University in Wales.
Ousama has long track of international exhibitions, and recently has been successful in having his work included in several prestigious exhibitions in the UK; such as: Oxford-pride Art and Design Festival in The Jam Factory Arts Centre, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours Annual Exhibition in Mall Galleries in London, IMPRESS 2013 – The International Print Festival in Stroud, and many more.

Illustrated Talk

‘East meets West via the bit in the Middle: Traditional to Digital’
The title for this talk alludes to the journey that I have been making – crossing borders from the Middle East to the Far East and now here in the West. It also addresses the variety of artistic approaches, techniques, and knowledge practiced and gained from these countries.

As an artist who has lived between Syria, China, and the UK, I have had the opportunity to experience and explore the rich diversity of cultures from the East, Middle East, and the West. Focussing upon the traditions and practice of printmaking and the illustrated book, this experience has enabled me to research for my current PhD project entitled ‘Synthesis of Eastern and Western Reflections’.
For this project a series of pictures and artist’s books are being developed that incorporate and combine traditional methods of Chinese woodcut, calligraphy (including ancient Oracle bone script characters and pictographs), and paper-cut with digital techniques of design, engraving and cutting paper using a laser.

The project has also provided opportunity to expand upon my Middle Eastern heritage enabling me to incorporate Eastern and Western approaches to paper marbling, Arabic and English calligraphy and both (oriental) water-based woodblock, and (western) oil-based woodblock printing techniques.

Based upon the four spiritual creatures of Dragon, Phoenix, White Tiger and Turtle all of which are central to Chinese legend; designing for these books has thus taken account of their significance in Chinese history and mythology in the following manner and refer respectively to: the seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter; colours – green-blue, red, white; compass points – east, south, west and north; and the virtues of propriety, knowledge, righteousness and faith.

Open Book

‘East meets West via the bit in the Middle: Traditional to Digital’
As part of my PhD research a series of four artist’s books are being developed that incorporate and combine traditional methods of Chinese woodcut, calligraphy (including ancient Oracle bone script characters and pictographs), Eastern and Western approaches to paper marbling, Arabic and English calligraphy, and paper-cut with digital techniques of design, engraving and cutting paper using laser. Based upon the four spiritual creatures of Dragon, Phoenix, White Tiger and Turtle all of which are central to Chinese legend; designing for these books has thus taken account of their significance in Chinese history and mythology refer to the seasons; compass points; and the virtues.