The Oriental Ancient Referentiality in Bassam Sabry’s contemporary Icons

Abstract

Bassam Sabry’s religious icons represent a state of deviation in the structure of the traditional form of religious art, which has long been characterized as constant in molds that are difficult to change that since any change could clash with the taste of the local receiver which was shaped in formal contexts over a long time. Bassam Sabry reproduces an old local style in this iconic performance. Did this performance enable him to balance his expressive style and his desire to renew the discourse of the iconic figure? The research aims to identify the ancient oriental references in Bassam Sabry’s contemporary icons and it is shown in a study of selected models of Bassam Sabry's icons within the research community that extended from 2005-2020 and created with different materials. The research includes two topics, the first: the historical concept of the eastern icon. And the second: Bassam Sabry's contemporary icons. As for the most important results of the research: Bassam Sabry mixed the ancient Syriac style with the influence of (Marco Evan Rubinic) style in his recent works, which are characterized by simplicity, freedom of expression and flexibility in performance. Bassam Sabry also found that the formal and performative references to the ancient Iraqi miniatures could constitute a state of cultural communication and an extension of the local identity of Christian religious art in Iraq.