Adonis

Adonis, also known as Adunis, is the pen name of Ali Ahmad Said, a distinguished poet and essayist widely regarded as the greatest living poet in the Arab world.

Biography of Adonis

Born in 1930 in Qassabin, Syria, Adonis began his literary journey in the 1950s, writing poetry that reflected his deep insights and cultural perspectives. However, his activism led to his imprisonment in 1955 for antigovernment activities. After this, he relocated to Lebanon, where he continued his literary pursuits.

In Lebanon, Adonis co-founded the influential journal Shi’r (poetry) in 1956 and later established the avant-garde cultural magazine Mawaqif (positions) in 1968. 

Adonis has been based in Paris since the early 1980s, where he has not only continued his literary endeavors but also shared his knowledge and insights as a teacher at various universities, including the Sorbonne. His impact on Arab literature and culture is profound, with over twenty books to his name, including the renowned poetry collection "Aghani Mihyar ad-Dimashqi" (Song of Mihyar the Damascene) published in 1961.

Adonis, a vocal critic of Islamic religious values and traditions, identifies as a non-religious individual. He has previously faced death threats due to his denunciations, notably from the well-known Egyptian Salafi sheikh Mohamad Said Raslan. Raslan accused him of abandoning his Muslim name (Ali) and adopting a pagan name. In a circulated video, Raslan labeled Adonis as a warrior against Islam, demanding that his books be banned and describing him as an infidel. Additionally, in 2013, Islamic scholar Abdelfetah Zeraoui Hamadache called for Adonis's books to be burned.

A perennial nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Adonis is hailed as the preeminent poet of the Arab world. He received the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature in 2017 and the Izmir International Homer Award in 2022.

Adonis' Art Style

While Adonis is widely celebrated for his poetry and philosophical writings, lesser-known are his original collages on paper. Through these visual artworks, Adonis merges the poetics of text with visual languages, creating intimate and whimsical narratives. His collages often feature calligraphic text as a densely rhythmic backdrop, showcasing words by esteemed Arabic masters such as Al-Ma'rri, Abu Tamman, Al Mutanabi, and Waddah al-Yaman.

What sets Adonis's collages apart is their rebellious spirit and inclination towards change, mirroring the ethos of the literary figures whose words adorn his artworks. Through his visual expressions, Adonis expands the notion of truth beyond text, inviting viewers to explore new dimensions of understanding and interpretation.