Ali Omar Ermes

Ermes was born in Libya in 1945 and went to England to further his education, where he studied at the Plymouth School of Architecture and Design and the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design. Since 1968, he has created ‘literary artworks’, paintings based on Arabic literature and letters. Often in his paintings, Ermes focuses on a single letter and infuses the letter with vibrant character and an unfolding visual narrative. 

The art combines painting excerpts from world literature, mainly Arabic/Islamic poetry and prose and uses them as a commentary on human values such as justice, peace, human rights, protection of the environment and moral and social responsibilities. 

Ermes has participated in over sixty exhibitions worldwide and his work is held by private collections and prominent museums, including the British Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.  

For more examples of Ermes’ work, click here to go to his website.