HFC professor authors textbook on Arab art

Dr. Hashim Al-Tawil, an art history professor at HFC and chair of the Art History Department, recently published a textbook called History of Arab Art (Linus Learning) for his ART 227 class – right in time for the Winter 2019 Semester.

Al-Tawil’s impetus for writing the textbook was the dearth of textbooks about Arab art in the pre-Islamic era. He has been involved in the history of visual arts in the Arab world for more than 40 years, which makes him eminently qualified to write about the topic. In fact, he’s written about it in textbooks and academic journals for the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh, both prestigious schools.

“There is a need to put all this information together for study – that was my main motivation for writing it,” said Al-Tawil.

Al-Tawil has taught at HFC since 2000. He has served on many educational and academic boards, including the Fulbright Board of Directors – Michigan Chapter. In addition to researching and teaching about the history of art and culture of the Arab world, he has conducted research about the Medieval and Islamic visual traditions, which he has brought to the classroom. As a trained visual artist, he incorporates Arab visual contextual materials in his artwork.

Al-Tawil received his undergraduate degree in art history from the University of Baghdad in 1973, his graduate degree in art history from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT in 1978, and his Ph.D. in art history from the University of Iowa in 1993. He is a Fulbright Scholar (Italy, 2007) and a Senior Fellow (France, 2011).

History of Arab Art

History of Arab Art introduces a new outlook to this hitherto little-known field of cultural and artistic creativity, which is the subject of a lot of myth and outdated convention. The book is essentially a reinterpretation of the visual tradition among the Arab people since around 2000 BCE to the present. The book explores and chronicles the formation and development of that diverse tradition, explaining its interaction and exchange with various neighboring cultures. Based on archaeological sources, academic studies, and surviving cultural materials, it provides readers with a critical understanding of Arab visual art throughout its history.

The book introduces readers to the diverse manifestations of Arab visual aesthetics through the Phoenician-Canaanite, North and South Arabian, Nabataean, and Medieval Islamic junctures. Lavishly illustrated and supplied with bibliographical references, History of Arab Art is an indispensable source for libraries and educational institutions. It contains 340 pages, 210 color images, nine maps, and extensive lists of academic resources.

Al-Tawil spent 12-15 years researching, writing, and rewriting this textbook. He spent the last three years “getting serious” about finishing History of Arab Art. He took a sabbatical during the Winter 2018 Semester to put the final touches on it. On Nov. 14, he presented his findings at an event sponsored by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, The Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation (CTEI), the Arab Cultural Studies Program (ACSP), the Council of World Cultures (CWC), and the Arab Studies Union (ASU).

“Writing a textbook adds even more value and credibility to the academic level at HFC,” said Al-Tawil.