Ali Omar Ermes
Encyclopedia
Ali Omar Ermes is an artist, writer and community activist. Having spent a period in Libya
during which he wrote constantly and published in Arabic, he continues to write on various issues in both Arabic and English
, but today his primary focus is on conference papers. In his art, articles, ideas and speeches, he addresses a variety of social and cultural issues, including identity, language, education, art, media and community. In addition, he serves as chair of the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in Kensington
, London
.
in 1945, Ali Omar Ermes travelled to England
to further his education; he earned his diploma in design at the Plymouth School of art and design in 1970 and later attended the Central School of Art in London for a short period. On his return to Libya
, he wrote extensively and headed the visual arts section of All Arts magazine. In 1974 he was contracted to work as the visual arts consultant to the festival director for the World of Islam Festival (1976), preparing for exhibitions on Islamic art
and culture and meeting artists and calligraphers, museum directors and various intellectuals across the Muslim world. He worked for a few years writing and researching, travelling frequently, on different artistic and publishing projects until 1981, when he decided to move to England
where he lives today with his family. Over the years, Ermes has participated in various Muslim community projects, written about many important issues and has exhibited in some sixty to seventy exhibitions around the world.
Ali Omar Ermes is a writer and a speaker who has published numerous articles in English and Arabic newspapers and magazines, among them Q News
and Al Quds Al Arabi, although today he mainly prepares papers for presentation at conferences. Ermes has spoken at national and international conferences on a variety of social and cultural issues. A selection of his papers includes: ‘Art and Islam’ (‘Mutualities: Britain and Islam’ conference, Royal Commonwealth Society
, London, April 1999), ‘Contemporary Islamic arts: a positive contribution to London’ (‘The Middle East in London’ conference, SOAS, June 2001); ‘A glimpse of Islamic heritage’ (‘Islam UK’, the BBC
’s Islam Season, SOAS, September 2001), ‘The invisibility of the Arab community’ (London Civic Forum, March 2002); ‘The importance of faith-based education for the Muslim community’ (‘Faith in the UK and Development Education’ seminar organised by the Development Education Association, London, March 2003), ‘The Arabic language as a national cultural issue’ (‘Better Arabic Calligraphy’ conference, Calligraphy Centre, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
, Egypt
, July 2004); ‘The Arab media in Britain’ (‘Domination, Expression and Liberation in the Middle East’ conference, London Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies
(SOAS), London, July 2004); ‘Culture beyond stereotype: an artist’s experience’ (Islam and Arts’ conference, Oldham
, November 2004); ‘Multi-Cultural Europe – The Muslim perspective’, VIII conference, ‘European culture’, University of Navarra
, Pamplona
, Spain
, October 2005); ‘Plural identity and European citizenship’ (European Parliament
, Brussels
, November 2007).
. The MCHC provides a wide range of social, cultural and educational training as well as religious facilities to people in North Kensington, London and the surrounding areas. .
He has also served on the executive board of the London Civic Forum, an organisation that engages the capital’s civil society in the regional governance of London. Ermes is the co-founder, and was the co-chairman, of the Forum of Faiths in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
(November 2007); the Meem Gallery, Dubai
(January 2007 and April 2008); the University of California
, Los Angeles
Fowler Museum, USA (October 2007/8); the Ghaf Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi
(April 2007); the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
, USA (May 2007); the Dar Al-Funoon Gallery, Kuwait
(March 2008); the British Museum
’s ‘Word into Art’, London
and Dubai
(2006 and 2008); Tate Britain
’s ‘East-West: Objects Between Cultures’ (September 2006/7) and DIFC, Dubai
(March 2008) as well as in Sotheby’s and Christies auctions in London
and Dubai
.
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
during which he wrote constantly and published in Arabic, he continues to write on various issues in both Arabic and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, but today his primary focus is on conference papers. In his art, articles, ideas and speeches, he addresses a variety of social and cultural issues, including identity, language, education, art, media and community. In addition, he serves as chair of the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Biography
Born in LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in 1945, Ali Omar Ermes travelled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to further his education; he earned his diploma in design at the Plymouth School of art and design in 1970 and later attended the Central School of Art in London for a short period. On his return to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, he wrote extensively and headed the visual arts section of All Arts magazine. In 1974 he was contracted to work as the visual arts consultant to the festival director for the World of Islam Festival (1976), preparing for exhibitions on Islamic art
Islamic art
Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
and culture and meeting artists and calligraphers, museum directors and various intellectuals across the Muslim world. He worked for a few years writing and researching, travelling frequently, on different artistic and publishing projects until 1981, when he decided to move to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he lives today with his family. Over the years, Ermes has participated in various Muslim community projects, written about many important issues and has exhibited in some sixty to seventy exhibitions around the world.
Ali Omar Ermes is a writer and a speaker who has published numerous articles in English and Arabic newspapers and magazines, among them Q News
Q News
Q News was a British Muslim magazine published by Q-News Media Limited. It described itself as "Britain's leading Muslim magazine, providing independent analysis, critique and review of politics, culture and ideas."...
and Al Quds Al Arabi, although today he mainly prepares papers for presentation at conferences. Ermes has spoken at national and international conferences on a variety of social and cultural issues. A selection of his papers includes: ‘Art and Islam’ (‘Mutualities: Britain and Islam’ conference, Royal Commonwealth Society
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
, London, April 1999), ‘Contemporary Islamic arts: a positive contribution to London’ (‘The Middle East in London’ conference, SOAS, June 2001); ‘A glimpse of Islamic heritage’ (‘Islam UK’, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
’s Islam Season, SOAS, September 2001), ‘The invisibility of the Arab community’ (London Civic Forum, March 2002); ‘The importance of faith-based education for the Muslim community’ (‘Faith in the UK and Development Education’ seminar organised by the Development Education Association, London, March 2003), ‘The Arabic language as a national cultural issue’ (‘Better Arabic Calligraphy’ conference, Calligraphy Centre, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, July 2004); ‘The Arab media in Britain’ (‘Domination, Expression and Liberation in the Middle East’ conference, London Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(SOAS), London, July 2004); ‘Culture beyond stereotype: an artist’s experience’ (Islam and Arts’ conference, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, November 2004); ‘Multi-Cultural Europe – The Muslim perspective’, VIII conference, ‘European culture’, University of Navarra
University of Navarra
The University of Navarra is a private pontifical university based at the southeast border of Pamplona, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei as a corporate work of the apostolate of Opus Dei....
, Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, October 2005); ‘Plural identity and European citizenship’ (European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, November 2007).
Community activities
Ermes participates in various social and cultural activities and endeavours. He is the chairman of the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre (MCHC) in the Kensington and Chelsea Borough, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The MCHC provides a wide range of social, cultural and educational training as well as religious facilities to people in North Kensington, London and the surrounding areas. .
He has also served on the executive board of the London Civic Forum, an organisation that engages the capital’s civil society in the regional governance of London. Ermes is the co-founder, and was the co-chairman, of the Forum of Faiths in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Select exhibitions
His most recent showings include works on display at the State Hermitage, St Petersburg, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(November 2007); the Meem Gallery, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
(January 2007 and April 2008); the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Fowler Museum, USA (October 2007/8); the Ghaf Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
(April 2007); the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, USA (May 2007); the Dar Al-Funoon Gallery, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
(March 2008); the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
’s ‘Word into Art’, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
(2006 and 2008); Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
’s ‘East-West: Objects Between Cultures’ (September 2006/7) and DIFC, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
(March 2008) as well as in Sotheby’s and Christies auctions in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
Arabic articles
- Ali Omar Ermes - A link between Art and Literature - Arabic article
- جماليات الحرف العربي بخلفية ثقافية أصيلة.. غالية الثمن
- انتقال الفنان العربي «علي عمر الرميص» إلى العالمية
- علي الرميص في دار الفنون: كل حرف هو صورة تجريدية
- الفنان العالمي الليبي علي الرميص ينادي بالسلام بحروف عربية
- بحضور شخصيات إسلامية وعدد من السفراءالأمير شارلز افتتح المركز الثقافي الإسلامي بلندن
- علي الرميص يرسم الحروف ويرفض مسخ الطبيعة
- علي الرميص يصور الكلمة العربية في سياق إنساني
- Ali Omar Ermes’ exhibition in Mayfair, London, Arabic article
- Ali Omar Ermes and the Arabic Letterform – Arabic article
Articles by Ali Omar Ermes in Arabic
- The importance of the Arabic Language
- Al Arab fil Gharab Part 1
- Al Arab fil Gharab Part 2
- The Arab media Part 1
- The Arab media Part 2