In Silver Spring, Artist Finds Healing Amid Sniper Ordeal
Paintings Depict Response To Recent Area Shootings

By Sara Gebhardt
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 28, 2002; Page GZ22

Hussein Saidi wanted to create art that would help heal a community dealing with fear and anger over October's sniper attacks. When the shootings hit close to Saidi's Silver Spring home, he took to the canvas, but only after he conquered his own fears of leaving his studio to buy paint at the Michaels crafts store in Aspen Hill, which had been hit by gunfire on the first day of the killing spree.

"One time when I was painting in the house, it hit me," Saidi said. "I'm running out of paint, and I'm scared to go out. I realized I was affected. I was uncomfortable. I wanted to touch people, to communicate their feelings."

Saidi likened his trepidation about venturing out to get paint, his wife going grocery shopping and his two young children playing outside to emotions the whole community experienced during and after the spate of violence. The result is a series of new paintings that show fear, solidarity, anger, meditation and healing, the basis of "Contradictions," which will be on display from Monday through Saturday at the World Arts Focus Gallery in Mount Rainier.

The contemporary Tanzanian artist's seven newest works join 11 of his previous representations of community in the exhibition. The former Web designer became a full-time artist last summer and has won awards for paintings at the Adams Morgan Festival and Baltimore's Carriage House Theatre and Arts Festival.

Living in the United States for seven years, recently as part of a community on edge, Saidi said he fashioned the exhibition to explore contradictions in the human spirit by creating a visual depiction of the philosophical debate over whether or not humans are inherently good or inherently evil.

Saidi's newest pieces incorporate American ideas and art forms into his traditionally African work. Using the American custom of lighting candles to cope with grief, Saidi painted "Grief and Healing," a predominantly deep-purple-hued depiction of a mother holding her child as she looks at candlelight, and "Candle Light Vigil," a colorful, abstract painting showing human figures linked together and holding candles.

"In Tanzania, when somebody in the community lost loved ones, neighbors went over to that person's house and slept there to show community support," Saidi said. "Usually women slept inside and males slept outside, so you had to light a fire for the people sleeping in front of the victim's house. In America, people light their candles and it's pretty much the same thing. I wanted to mix the whole idea," Saidi said.

His painting "A Call for Peace," a portrayal of angry and grieving faces of people holding picket signs, also departed from his typical African depictions of family and community life with its detailed faces and strong colors and shapes.

"It looks amazing in our studio space," said Maura Friedman, marketing coordinator for World Arts Focus. Saidi's paintings are hung on the wall of the organization's dance studio, and Friedman said that the colorful shapes and images fit well with both World Arts Focus's dance theme, because many show people engaged in various free-form movements, and its overall mission to use art to bolster the community.

Watching the community come together throughout the tragedies of the sniper attacks has been eye-opening for Saidi. "It's funny," he said. "Since I've been in America, I thought everybody just lives on his own. But I've been surprised. I've seen people pulling together, and it feels really good. I hope I am going to see more togetherness in the community, not just for tragedy but for other things going on to support one another."

"Contradictions" can be seen daily from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., from Monday through Dec. 7, at the World Arts Focus Gallery, 3802 34th Street, Mount Rainier. A free reception with Saidi will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 7. Saidi and his wife, Rachel, will collect donations to give to victims of the sniper shootings. For information, contact the gallery at 301-699-1819 or www.worldartsfocus.org.