Deaf-mute Marwan Abdurahman: Golden Fingers with Sensitive Temperament in the World of Imagination [Archives:2002/02/Last Page]

Abduh Mokbill Al-Sabri
On a cloudy day we visited Marwan Abdurahman Shoga’adeen in his house. Marwan, 14, though deafmute still enjoys the full possession of his faculties through using his fingers in portraying what he sees and feels. His rapid progress in a short period of time in the field of painting amazed me a lot. You can not believe that such masterpieces is his own.
He studied in al-Iman Rehabilitation Institute for four years. Efforts to educate the young boy were of no avail due to the unavailability of proper educational curricula for such students. He could learn the plastic art but nothing seems to help the young boy except his parents. After that he moved to al-Halali Institute and with a sudden turn, he faced some problems that couldn’t meet his talented mentality, due to unspecialized cadres to teach such handicapped boys. This resulted in many obstacles to such a talented boy.
His father started to provide him with whatever he needed. Plastic artists like Marwan are completely ignored by the bodies concerned. Probably there is no real and quick reaction to this kind of literary form in comparison to other forms of arts such as poetry and short story.  Difficulties and obstacles have been created on his way. In many countries special attention is paid to such talented people. Up-to-date techniques are widely used and specialized teachers are trained with the aim of improving this kind of talented handicapped people. Similarly, in many countries, talented people gain the respect of the cultural and scientific institutions and figures. They are honored by the cultural and informative bodies, which motivate and encourage them to excel in their work. Honoring such people in our country is somewhat different. In Yemen, honoring a talented person always comes too late.
If Yemen seeks to define its talented trailbreakers, it is certain that a young boy particularly at such age will be among the pioneers who seek to create something new and add beauty to the world that is becoming narrower and narrower and is about to collapse.
With his paintbrush he can portray great Yemeni and Arab figures like the President of  Yemen, the King of Saudi Arabia, late Hayel Saeed Ana’am, and Kaboos Bin Saeed and other great leaders. His paintings are live portraits. He even could, to some extent imitate the works of Leonardo da Vincie.
Painting seem to be everything in his life. He cannot stand away from hi brush, canvas, easel and colors. Quick executed drawings and paintings of human faces are Marwan’s most interest. It enables him to discover what is beyond the human faces and to explore the truth and life.
A quite place is essential for him to draw. “Being deaf and dumb, he wishes he would be a great artist who is able to convey what he thinks and feels in a different language, said his father.



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