Umm Qais Artists
Batoul Al-Rousan
Artist
Umm Qais, Jordan
Abdullah Al-Rousan
Stonemason & Sculptor
Umm Qais, Jordan
Jana El-Masry
Jewellery Artist
Umm Qais, Jordan
Batoul Alrosan is the founder and owner of the postcard project since 2022. She is using her own talent and skills based on her studies of design and visual communication. She is aiming to establish her own business that represents Umm Qais’s culture and folklore through educational postcards and stickers. The product’s design is based on drawings and quotes explaining the culture of the city. She decided to create place-based souvenirs that make her products different from any souvenirs found in Jordan.
Batoul’s project aims at educating future generations about the historical and physical transformation of Umm Qais.
“We are not part of this history until we live it and that is what I will try to achieve in my project reliving past experiences in a modern and simple way”
Abdallah Alrosan is a co-partner in the “STONE & CHIESL” project with his father since 2017. He expanded the business in 2019 to be more interactive in the form of training and workshops. The training is for artists who want to develop their skills further to be able to start their own business in the sculpture field. While the workshops are for tourists who are visiting the heritage site in Umm Qais to work on small souvenirs that they can take with them when they finish their visit.
Abdallah is a Jordanian artist who was born and raised in Umm Qais, Jordan where he was influenced by the area’s history in his work. His father has more than 30 years of experience as a sculptor which affected Abdallah’s artistic skills and perception. He aims to highlight the significance of their profession and enhance people’s perception of Umm Qais’s history through his work.
“Tourists have always shown curiosity of their work in which I aim to be part of Umm Qias’s tourism and branding”
Jana El Masry is the founder and owner of the “Dahnouna Project” since 2019. Her family has a strong place attachment to the area and more specifically its heritage which was part of her family’s identity. The Project’s name is inspired by the famous Dahnoun flower in Jordan.
She started with Accessories production and now the project expanded to have another production line, which is scarfs. The scarf production started using the traditional way to revive the intangible heritage of Umm Qais and Jordan. She aims to leave a fingerprint on tourists when they visit Umm Qais with souvenirs that resemble Umm Qais’s story.
“My products are narrating the story of Umm Qais and explaining my ties and connections with the place through memories and representations”.
Shatha Malkawi
Artist
Umm Qais, Jordan
Rania Nazzal
Mosaicist
Umm Qais, Jordan
Layali El-Dakamsa
Jewellery Artist
Umm Qais, Jordan
Shatha Malkawi is the founder and owner of the Resin project since 2020. Her study as an archaeologist has influenced her perception and interest in cultural heritage and the place identity of Umm Qais. The inspiration for the project came from the idea of temporary projects and initiatives that took place in Umm Qais and Irbid to support the local community there and empower them with the required skills and knowledge. This is when she started training women in Resin Crafts. However, this didn’t last for long due to the pandemic.
Shatha’s project is in Resin crafts inspired by the intangible heritage of the place. She revives the traditional proverbs in Umm Qais and Irbid through her work. She aims at connecting older and younger generations. At the same time, her vision is to expand the project to include more artistic elements and materials to mix it with the resin Craft.
“People always appreciate things that they can relate to, and this is what “name of the project” represents”
Rania is the owner and founder of the Mosaic Project since 2020. Her study was focusing on the roman theatres, this is when she started working in Umm Qais more specifically the roman theatre there. She started to have a stronger connection with Umm Qais and its heritage. Rania’s inspiration to start this project was a combination based on Jordan’s mosaic history which dates to the 6th century AD during the Byzantine period and her field of study and work in Archaeology.
Rania’s aim is to spread the historical significance of the mosaic crafts in Jordan’s history through her work.
“Umm Qais’s potential is massive and yet it still needs more exploration. My work aims at being part of this adventure”
Layali is the owner and founder of handmade accessories project since 2020. Her identity as a Jordanian woman influenced her thinking to start this project. She wants to represent Jordanian women’s culture through her handmade accessories that her ancestors used to wear. Layali uses different colours and materials between beads, metals, copper, and resin to represent this identity.
Layali aims to create her own brand of accessories that can be spread all over Jordan and internationally as well. Her study and knowledge will inspire the development of her project to focus on Umm Qais’s heritage in her production.
“Women is a very strong part of the Jordanian community, and I would like to represent women in my design and production more specifically Umm Qais”