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26
SUMMER
2012
She wasn’t picked out as an artist at
school. Not even at university. In fact,
Salma El-Turk ’77
showed little interest
in art herself (well, except for having an
amazing knack of crocheting colorful hats
for everyone). But after a particularly
emotional day four years ago, she grabbed
a piece of paper and began to doodle. And
doodle. And doodle.
“I had this need to keep going,” recalled
El-Turk.
And before her astonished eyes her
“doodles” became a sophisticated series of
line and curves. The lines began to take
the shape of a woman’s face, elephant
or bird. Suddenly, El-Turk knew exactly
what she was drawing and the emotions
she wanted to convey.
She hasn’t been able to stop drawing since.
“There were so many emotions that want-
ed to come out,” she said. “My thoughts
suddenly became clear in my mind.”
The mother of four grown children unre-
lentingly produced drawing after drawing.
It was her daughter who finally grabbed
some of her mother’s work and showed it
to Omayma Soubra, the owner of the Art
Workshop in Hamra. Impressed, Soubra
called El-Turk and encouraged her take
some formal art lessons.
A year later, El-Turk held her first exhibi-
tion (last March) at the Art Workshop.
She displayed 51 of her best pieces,
including her early work when she started
to use colors. Later on, as her talent
unraveled, she used black ink - sometimes
tinted with just a dab of colors.
Many aspects of El-Turk’s own life are
weaved into the designs. “The more I
drew, the more I began to realize that part
of me is in that picture,” said El-Turk.
“Most of the drawings are about women.
There are many birds too. So somehow
I’m in every single design.”
The significance of each design depends
heavily on the perspective of the observer.
El-Turk listened enthralled as visitors
translated her drawings into different
meanings.
“I don’t know myself what they mean
until I begin,” she said. “I start with my
energy, emotions, feelings, pen and paper.
I don’t where I’m heading.The images
come to me as I start making shapes.”
Hundreds of curves and lines come to-
gether to form one of El-Turks’ drawings.
If one single line gone awry, Turk discards
the entire effort. Unruffled, El-Turk starts
a new design.
“Drawing is my haven,” she said. “I feel
like somebody understands me.This is my
silent language.”
Silent Language