Affected by the recent shocking death of George Floyd, Lebanese Calligrapher Adham Chamseddine has dedicated a work of art in remembrance of the victim of racism and injustice.
I can’t breathe. Words that have been swarming the Internet and shaking streets across the world in protest against the ghastly treatment and murder of a man whose only crime was the color of his skin.
Traced with grief and compassion, these words recently dried off on a thin piece of bristol paper that bears a familiar face with an unforgettable look that screams these same words.
لا استطيع التنفس (I can’t breathe), Chamseddine intricately wrote, under a shadowy drawing of the late George Floyd.
The Lebanese calligrapher, who produces his own pitch-black ink for his art, decided to pay tribute to the fallen victim of hateful discrimination, through the method of expression that he knows best.
Chamseddine, who had studied Mechanical Engineering, decided a few years ago to abandon his domain of study and pursue his passion, through which he has produced dozens of complex, beautiful pieces.
Nonetheless, the artist finds that calligraphy is very similar to engineering since both crafts require great precision in order to produce convoluted works of art, he recently explained to Annahar.
Adham Chamseddine’s work as a professional calligrapher has covered everything from religious texts and wise ancient quotes to calls to self-quarantine and memorable Fairuz lyrics.
One of his latest pieces, I can’t breathe, is one of many displays of support and compassion that the Lebanese have shown in solidarity against the recent killing of African-American George Floyd.
Floyd, whose forceful restraint by a police officer brought his demise in a neighborhood south of downtown Minnesota, USA, has ignited raging protests in numerous states and cities in America and across the world.
Similarly, it launched the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter, #GeorgeFloyd, and #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd, which have been among the top trending tags on social media, worldwide, for the past few days.
