Rome exhibition inspired by Jordanian heritage opens Saturday

AMMAN — An exhibition in Rome that opens on Saturday will showcase ceramics by Italian artist Gastone Primon, inspired by his stay in Jordan and his interaction with art styles from around the Kingdom, according to a statement by Italian critic and poet Franco Campegiani.

“This exhibition comes after more than 50 years of artistic experience, in which Primon exhibited both in Italy and abroad,” Campegiani said.

“Primon’s stay in Amman, which was from 1987 until 1990, was his most inspiring and pivotal experience”, during which he was inspired by the Middle Eastern fashion of anionic decorativeness.

Campegiani added that the Foreign Ministry invited Primon to work as a ceramic expert at a ceramic centres in Jordan. This was where he built connections with relevant institutions, inspiring “many generations of ceramists”.

“It seems that the stones and  dust of Jordan carry fragments of [the country’s] civilisation and human history that are reflected in the works of international artists who have already visited Jordan,” said art critic Mazen Asfour.

Asfour told The Jordan Times recently that it is “a way to combine the past with the present”, as the Italian artist’s exhibition will embody “the unity of humankind with passion and joy around the globe”. 

He described Gastone’s art expression as a “visual way to remove barriers and remove ethnic differences brought by wars and migrations”.