Western musicians embrace the EastThe exhibit "East/West Convergences" closes Friday, February 26 featuring artists Kinda Hibrawi and Nouha Sinno at the Inside/Outside Gallery (Levantine Cultural Center), and special musical performances by Dann Torres (oud, saz, guitar) and Alex Spurkel (doumbek, world percussion). The exhibition is dedicated to the exploration of the convergences between eastern and western cultures, and features the artists Kinda Hibrawi (Syria) and Nouha Sinno (Lebanon), who both use Arabic calligraphy in their art, albeit in contrasting styles.

While painters Hibrawi and Sinno have embraced life in the West—emigrating from their native Syria and Lebanon respectively—Torres and Spurkel have found their musical identities by performing on instruments of the Arab and Turkish world.

The closing reception spans from 7 to 10 pm.

MUSICIAN BIOS

Dann Torres began as a guitarist who immersed himself in medieval music for a number of years. Early on, he founded the group Eventide, a medieval/alternative ensemble, and realized that the Arabic influence on early music could not be denied. He soon discovered an overwhelming passion for the Arabic oud (a fretless, short-necked lute), the Turkish saz (a long-necked lute) and world music in general. Combining elements of electronica, experimental, jazz and world music in one package, he has bridged the gap between modern and traditional music in a unique way. Torres performs with his own ensemble, Knossos, and with other world music groups including Suzanne Teng's Mystic Journey. "I am constantly fueled by my desire to disassemble the organic, to create a new voice out of the simplest, purest sound," he says. "There is symmetry in the soul of archaic instruments and the antiseptic technology of today. Be it the warmth of the oud's melancholic breadth, the resonance of snares on a bendir or a glitch in a textured wash of electronic ambiance, I seek to unravel this symmetry in my music in pursuit of a new soul that is compelling and enigmatic." Read full bio.

Alex Spurkel cofounded the world electronica group Naked Rhythm with Avi Sills in 2003. He is a diverse world music percussionist and producer who has toured the world with acclaimed electronica pioneers, Electric Skychurch. Alex has a solid background in world music and studied ethnomusicology at UCLA, as well as with numerous renowned masters including doumbek virtuoso Souhail Kaspar. He is also an award-winning producer/composer and released his own sample library CD entitled Electro-World Percussion with Sony Digital Media. Alex is also a sought-after teacher in Los Angeles, teaching popular drumming classes every week for world tribal and Middle-Eastern drumming (at Levantine Cultural Center). Naked Rhythm has released Frequency and Electric Oasis and their songs have been featured on numerous compilations including Tantra Lounge and Buddha Bar CDs. Read more.

ARTIST BIOS:
Nouha Sinno

After she left her career as an interior designer, Nouha Sinno set off on a journey of self-discovery that began with a desire for free expression, unrestricted by any boundaries. She had always been taken by the enchanting concept of Arabic language as art, and as a result her work is a reflection of her years contemplating the visual beauty of Arabic culture, from Islamic tiles and geometry to architectural motifs and calligraphy. Her art pays tribute to her love for the language. "I am grateful," she says, "for the rich legacy of beauty and elegance that is the Arabic alphabet." This collection of her work is reveals intricate lines and colors that coalesce into abstract rendition of Arabic words and their meaning. Her rich compositions speak of her memories as an Arab Muslim woman, born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, where she graduated from the Lebanese University of Fine Art as an interior designer. She worked as such in her country before she moved to Southern California in 1984, escaping the civil war there. Nouha Sinno has participated in several group shows in Beirut, Bahrain, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Kinda Hibrawi

Kinda Hibrawi's artwork is a passionate journey of femininity, spirituality and cultural convergence. Of Syrian heritage, she grew up between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and the United States. Through her studies she began to expand on the ancient tradition of Arabic calligraphy by giving it a modern twist. As an Arab American, she felt the need for her artwork to reflect the richness of the Middle East coupled with Western diversity. Hibrawi's original work is sought by collectors worldwide and has been exhibited in galleries across the US as well as in the permanent collection of the Arab American Museum. Her 2007 solo exhibition in Washington DC drew acclaim, and she was named "an artistic ambassador" by Arab News. In 2008, her paintings were selected by the Artists in Embassies Program for Ambassador Kurt Volker, the U.S. Representative to NATO. As an artistic ambassador she lectures on her work nationwide. Recently she was invited to speak at the School of Visual Fine Arts in New York City. Hibrawi runs a portrait studio MyPopArt.com in California and hopes to continue bridging cultural misunderstandings between Arabs and Americans through her artwork. She is currently represented by Ayse Turgut in New York and the Chiarini Gallery in California. Visit her site.