Personal Info
- Country of residence: Portugal
Information
Name: Fayez Fawzi Abdul Rahman Al-Aghbar
Date of Birth: 1933
Place of Birth: Nablus
Education: Fifth Grade
Hobbies: Drawing, writing poetry, and swimming
Hajj Fayez Al-Aghbar Decorations Showroom
Bayader Wadi Al Seer - Industrial Street, Building No. 112
The art of drawing began with stone carving:
I was greatly influenced by my art teacher, the late Hamdi Al-Baz, from Nablus, from first grade until fourth grade. Then I transferred to another school, Al-Khaldounia. I had previously studied with him at Al-Ghazaliyya School in Nablus as well. Among my classmates at Al-Khaldounia School in Nablus, I remember Munther Wasef Al-Masri, Basem Al-Khayyat, and Assem Abdullah Ghosheh (whose father was a judge in Nablus). There were many more, but my contact with Munther Al-Masri was primarily due to my residence in Amman, where I would visit him from time to time until his passing, may God have mercy on him.
My initial influence on stone carving came from my father and uncle, especially when I recall their work on the magnificent Raghadan Palace in the 1930s. My inclination towards stone carving began at a young age, and I left school to pursue this craft. I started working in stone carving with my father in Nablus in 1949 at the age of 16. I loved the art of stone carving and its precision. My work with my father involved building stone arches and vaults without cement, and I still have a strong understanding of this work to this day.
Because of my passion and inclination towards the art of stone carving and decoration, in 1957 I created a stone frame using primitive tools—a chisel, hammer, and a trowel—and placed a picture of my friend and nephew, Fayeq Al-Aghbar, in it. Among the decorations for this frame were carved woven columns with Roman motifs, which particularly fascinated me. In addition to my love for Islamic decorations and muqarnas, I created several artistic works for building gates, including arches, decorations, cornices, and verandas on decorated columns with capitals. And the rules.
Self-reliance:
I worked independently as a contractor preparing various types of stone. I was often asked to create cornices and decorative elements in several styles, and I was skilled in this field. Part of my work involved meticulously applying blueprints to assist the main construction contractor, and I had a passion for drawing things. Following this, I founded the Construction Workers Cooperative Society in Nablus, which also had a branch in Amman. Among the Society's achievements in Nablus were several buildings, where I served as the main contractor. I was the general manager of the Society's operations in Nablus. The Society was comprised of highly qualified young people. Among the Society's most notable projects in Amman were the construction of the Agricultural Loans in Abdali, the Cooperative Institute, the former Bar Association building in 1961, and several villas and buildings in Jabal al-Luwaibdeh and Jabal al-Hussein. A team from our group worked in Jericho, where we completed the Jericho-Maghtas Road housing project, consisting of 70 villas in four different models.
The beginning of the sparks of professionalism in drawing:
1952:
I worked at a school in Salt where I observed stone decorations and applied them. These decorations resembled those of their counterparts in Amman, Nablus, and Jerusalem, especially the old ones.
1953:
One of the most beautiful villas I worked on in Amman was in Jabal al-Luwaibdeh for its owner, Haj Badi’ Yaish. It was made of red stone from the village of Suma, Irbid district. Most of the project owners for whom I worked on decorations were from Nablus, such as Muhammad al-Amoudi, Adel Ghanem, and others.
1966:
I traveled to Saudi Arabia and worked for 15 years in Riyadh and Dammam. My most important work was with the United Contractors Company as a first-class technical supervisor. After this period, I returned to Amman where I built my own building in the Rashid suburb.
In 1970, my passion for drawing began in the last century when I worked as a technical supervisor for the Consolidated Contractors Company on the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals project in Saudi Arabia. An engineer named Shamel worked with me, and I made a simple drawing for him. He liked it and encouraged me to continue drawing. At the beginning of my professional career I presented an idea, on my own initiative, to my superiors at the company and the project owners (King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia). This idea involved designing, building, and implementing several different shapes of water fountains in front of the buildings and swimming pools. These fountains were octagonal in shape with water channels around the sides.
The work didn't take long, from the initial excavation to the completion and handover of the fully functional fountains, which formed a unique architectural masterpiece. I presented them to Engineer Mohammed Al-Saadi, the project manager at the time, and to the company's specialized engineers and the project owners. They were very impressed, especially with the unique concept and the speed of completion. I was rewarded in a way I hadn't expected, and this incident served as a great motivator for me, as I had proven my worth and ability and demonstrated my ideas. My employment contract was then transferred from the project center to the administrative office. The company's general manager in Beirut was at the company's disposal for any similar project in any country. Afterwards, I left the company to work independently, establishing a contracting company with my brother Taysir, in partnership with Abdullah Fouad Contracting Company. We completed over six mosques and schools using rapid construction methods, implementing some of my ideas and designs.
(1980)
I settled in Amman and worked in the construction contracting field. I built several villas in Abdoun with engineers Jaafar Touqan, Jamal Malhas, Hisham Qaddoumi, and other Jordanian engineers. I recall a lecture in the early 1990s at the Aibal Society in Amman about architecture, titled "Architectural Convergence Between Salt and Nablus." Engineer Jaafar Touqan was the master of ceremonies at the time, and he was well aware of my ability to draw and carve stone in an artistic and unique way. I had a long-standing working relationship with him in this field. I was attending the lecture, and during it, he cited my experience and artistic skill in drawing, especially in relation to the lecture's topic. I was overjoyed, and my self-confidence increased because he cited me in front of the audience. It was a source of great pride and honor for me. I worked independently in contracting, and in my free time, I drew intermittently as a hobby. I applied some of my artistic passion to the royal palaces when I was commissioned to build the mausoleum of His Highness Prince Nayef, which was designed by Engineer Jaafar. Touqan. Then I translated my ideas into reality, designing and implementing many decorative works in Amman for barbecues in various shapes: circular, octagonal, rectangular, and others. These barbecues consisted of stone benches, depending on the shape, with a water fountain in the center, an oven in one corner with an arched barbecue grill and a smoke vent, and a cabinet under the grill. An iron dome was added to the ceiling to cover plants from outdoor pots, with a harmonious arrangement of stones. I was the first to conceive, design, and implement such types of construction in Jordan, such as the houses of Mr. Labib Shakaa, Mr. Fawzi Al-Saad, Mr. Jamil Jalajel, my brother Tayseer Al-Aghbar's house, and also my own house, as well as several other places that still stand, bearing witness to heritage and, God willing, will become historical landmarks for future generations to learn from.
Leaders: In 1990, I built a villa for Mr. Hisham Qaddoumi in Abdoun. The stone decorations encouraged me to draw more, as I used to draw one or two drawings every day until the number reached 170 drawings by the end of the project. I distributed the drawings as gifts to relatives and friends, and they expressed their admiration for these wonderful drawings and gave me much encouragement. I have kept only one drawing for myself to this day, and it is the one I cherish most. Due to my involvement in construction work, I stopped drawing until
2010.
I then had ample free time, so I resumed drawing with great enthusiasm to express all the artistic ideas and paintings that had been lingering in my imagination and put them on paper. I resumed developing my favorite hobby from the beginning of February 2010 until now. I have drawn and completed more than 1000 artworks, each one different from the other, with no similarity between them. I drew each painting as a unique idea, with different color styles to suit all tastes. My favorite colors were red, green, blue, and navy. The geometric shapes that influenced my drawings were due to my long experience working in construction and studying Islamic and Roman antiquities in our country. The Arabic and Islamic motifs found in Jerusalem, Amman, and Salt are the inspiration behind all my drawings; they are purely geometric or a blend of Islamic, Roman, or modern motifs.
My family and the art of drawing:
I had four sons and two daughters, and I have 23 grandchildren. I love them all, especially my youngest grandchildren. I always taught them to draw, and some of them have shown a talent for it, particularly my son Hassan and my youngest grandchildren Ammar: Yasser, Hayam, and Muhammad. They all have a clear talent for drawing, especially my grandson Yasser, who has a style and talent for drawing that is almost inherited from me.
The development of contemporary art:
Thanks to technology and science, I have been able to see my drawings, art, and ideas printed on glass, ceramics, carpets, wood, rugs, fabric, leather, and many other materials to suit all exterior and interior decorations and all tastes.
Advice:
I advise anyone who wants to develop their talent in drawing or any other art form to stay informed about everything new and never neglect the experiences and art of others who came before them and contributed to humanity with art from ancient times that continues to this day. I especially mention the art of sculpture and stone carving, which is abundant in our beloved country, rich in both prehistoric and contemporary art. To this day, artists strive to benefit from and draw inspiration from these traditions, developing their own unique artistic identity and reaching a stage of innovation with fresh ideas and approaches. They aim to establish their own distinct school of art, a source of pride for future generations. It's important to note that this type of art must continue for generations to come. I'm reminded here of the Andalusian art, particularly in Granada and elsewhere, which remains vibrant and present to this day. Future generations will undoubtedly admire these arts, and I hope we can serve as role models for those who come after us. Decorative art, like that of our predecessors, continues to evolve, for it is a cornerstone of civilization.
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