AMMAN — The fascination and concern Jordanian artist Ghassan Ayasrah has been feeling towards the environment prompted him to create unique works of art to draw people's attention towards recycling and environmental safety.  

 

The 53-year-old artist spent 23 years creating various kinds of works by collecting items left behind in places he visited, recounting how he used to visit his hometown of Sakib where items left behind in places he visited caught his attention. 

 

His two main works that depict the Dome of the Rock and the Grand Mosque in Mecca are the highlight of his project, as he described his work of art of the Dome of the Rock as an “artistic miracle”. 

 

Ayasrah used a total of half a million seeds of olives and dates to create the Dome of the Rock, urging people to send him seeds and finally reaching his target by receiving seeds from 17 countries. 

 

“It was not an easy task to make because I sacrificed my salary and the time I spent with my family to finish doing this work. It took me three years of work including 6,000 hours of work and three to 10 hours of daily work,” he remembered. 

 

Ayasrah also said it was a dream for him to create something that shows the Grand Mosque, for which he collected thousands of chips bags, which took him one year to finish. 

 

“A total of seven schools helped me collect these bags,” the artist recalled, saying he believes in the role of art to protect the environment, urging people to turn to recycling.  

 

The father-of-five said his children are now following in his artistic footsteps.  

 

 “I made my children to follow the same passion and they even helped me in the Grand Mosque work. I always pursue them to not get rid of anything and keep recycling,” he said.

 

Ayasrah, who described himself as an environmental advocate, opened an exhibition at the National Library Department this month, to raise awareness about his message.