Herberg’s Miniatures of Yemen [Archives:1998/11/Culture]

Ann Herberg is back to Yemen for the 6th time, her husband is with her participating at an archeological team and she has brought with her miniatures on the country and its people. This artist has done individual exhibitions in Europe since 1977, particularly Germany and Austria as well as in Afghanistan. From the Goethe Institute in Kabul Afghanistan to the Ophir in Berlin, Prisma in Austria and other galleries in Basel, Switzerland and now in Yemen the artist brings with her an itinerary of new experiences and impressions
Conventionalism cannot describe the interplay of light with its mirages and exotic colors that characterize her miniatures. When the artist was in Afghanistan, she was captivated by the stark landscape and that has left a lasting impression on her. Oriental art has influenced her. She admits she finds the same inspiration here in Yemen which is why she is back.
After an extensive period of reflection and transformation, she put her artistry to the test, out comes the essences and atmosphere of the people in Yemen and not a mere landscape.
“I like to use gold and silver color to express my work, and I involve sunrises and sunsets. My etchings are divided into quadrants and there is generally a human component to each etching to elucidate the culture and people rather than just reproduce a landscape”, she commented. ” My work is the result of an interplay of condensed and dissolved images to give an illusionary effect”, she added.
In this technique, the embossed cartouche forms a frame for her miniature etchings where she uses watercolors. The iridescent gold and silver tones form signs, metallic tones interpret light and the radiant colors are expressed three dimensionally
The artist does not work at home but at a studio called Bethanien.
” There when I paint the architecture becomes mere ornamentation,
and I am rather fond of unconventional colors to express the spirit of the lands I visit,” but she admitted that Yemeni architecture has also fascinated her and she will be back again.
Martin Dansky/ Yemen Times
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