Ftour Arabi
Artwork Details
| Full Title | Ftour Arabi (Arabic Breakfast) |
| Artist | Ruba Saqr |
| Medium and Support | Gouache on acid-free paper, using artist-quality gouache brands |
| Dimensions | Height 32cm x Width 32cm |
| Paper Dimensions | Height 32cm x Width 32cm |
| Date Made | 2023 |
| Display Type | The artwork has been scanned in order to showcase it online |
| Notes | The signature at the bottom of the painting has been added digitally for the purpose of crediting the artist. The original artwork is signed on the back |
| Keywords | Levantine food culture painting, Eastern Mediterranean culinary culture artwork, Middle Eastern food painting, Levantine breakfast, Middle Eastern breakfast, woman artist, women artists, female artist |
Description
This original gouache on paper artwork is a depiction of a Levantine staple, Ftour Arabi, or Arabic breakfast. It is painted on premium, acid-free, 300 gsm watercolour paper.
I created this painting as part of an ongoing series that highlights the different aspects of the Mediterranean, Levantine, Middle Eastern and North African gastronomic culture.
Food is more than just sustenance. It connects us to our cultural identity on a daily basis. Like other pieces in the series, this work of art tells a personal story about food as a fundamental part of my childhood. And, unquestionably, an absorbing passion in my adulthood.
The hand of a woman, scooping a bite with a piece of Arabic Ka’ak, is a reminder that this hand-painted artwork is “told” through the lens of an Arab woman.
Ftour Arabi: A typical Arabic breakfast rooted in variety
This gouache painting depicts one variation of a typical Arabic breakfast. Like Shorabet Adas, every household has its food staples and preferences.
Like in this piece, some prefer to have Hummus, Falafel, a side dish of fried eggs, some green olives and fresh tomatoes, their favourite Jerusalem-style Ka’ak Al-Quds, and a cup of mint-infused tea. While others prefer boiled eggs, assorted cheeses, Za’atar and olive oil, and something sweet like butter and homemade jam. And, of course, bread.
The list for what constitutes an Arabic breakfast is long and the variations are endless. But the basic premise is that it is an assortment of dishes that encompass healthy, delicious and filling foods.
Changeability and flexibility are in fact an old feature of the Arab Levantine culture. Grandmothers and their mothers before them were always adamant on offering their families a new culinary experience on a daily basis.
This was when slow food was a way of life and communal family meals were there to nourish the soul, not just the body.
