ART AS A VENUE FOR SOCIAL COMMENTARY: MODERN ARAB PRINTMAKERS AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Hand-made printmaking is an effective power of art, which intensifies the human touch, unlike the digital process of mass production, which obliterates the human touch traces. In the scope of Arab printmaking artworks, this paper mainly aims to delve into the social commentary art, which involves employing rhetorical means to deliver commentary on important social issues in society. This paper also aims to provide insights into understanding the relationship between social commentary art and printmaking. Moreover, a historical outline of Arab printmaking is provided, which highlights the social commentary art in the Arab World. In its methodology, the study employed Feldman’s model of art criticism, which consists of description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. Based on this model, several Arab artworks, considered social commentary printmaking art, were described, interpreted, and criticized. The study findings revealed that Arab artists like Laila Shawa, Dia Al-Azzawi, Ali Cherri, Kamal Boullata, and Nasser Al-Yousif have constructively documented important social and political issues and delivered effectively spirited printmaking artworks. Therefore, their artworks contributed to enlightening and deepening our understanding of these issues in the Arab region. The study's implication involved enriching our interpretation of social commentary and acknowledging the relationship between social commentary art and printmaking in the Arab World.