Tunisia – Tunisia keeps glass painting art alive

Location: Tunis – Tunisia

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:04:32

Sound: Natural

Source: A24 in Tunisia

Restrictions: A24 Subscribers

Date: 12/08/2022

Storyline:

Tunisia is keeping alive the ancient art of painting on glass, which was used in old ages in churches. Romans used glass to create decorative vessels and mosaics. 

The glass art, well-known in Tunisia and other countries, adds creative touches to glass, windows and doors.

Modern methods and applications have helped popularize this art, as it is now used for interior decorations of houses and shops, as well as household items and gifts.

Glass artist Awatif Al-Sughair told A24 News Agency that this art was also used to paint crystals with images that represent certain historical eras.

Shotlist:

Soundbite (Awatif Al-Sughair – Tunisian visual artist):

“Glass decorating is an ancient art that was used in churches a lot. This art was also used to paint crystals with images that represent certain historical eras. Nowadays, painting on glass is popular as it teaches how to put a picture in frame, how to use the correct measurements and how to paint even without previous experience.”

Soundbite (Awatif Al-Sughair – Tunisian visual artist):

“There are flat bearings and two-dimensional bearings. Painting on flat bearings is much easier, because we learn about primary and secondary colors, color mixing, color balance, and other basic techniques used in painting. We also have two-dimensional painting that uses glasses, vases, and candy containers.”

Soundbite (Awatif Al-Sughair – Tunisian visual artist):

“We decorate doors with crystal paint as well as many other household items.”

Soundbite (Radia – Shopper in the antiques market in Tunis):

“Nowadays, we only see glasses decorated but I have no idea where they are made. In the past, the doors of houses were part wood and part decorated glass, but now they are all wood. I think glass decorated doors will come back though.”

Soundbite (Awatif Al-Sughair – Tunisian visual artist):

“There are several new and modern methods in glass decorating that we have been incorporating in our work such as using golden paper, which is very beautiful and popular. We also use marble, which has different usages, each method has different techniques, according to the type of painting.”