Calligraphy: Art in Writing (online until 7 April) brings together an extraordinary collection of artefacts from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe to celebrate the thousand-year-old art of Arabic, Persian and Ottoman calligraphy. The three key elements of Islamic art ‘Arabic calligraphy primarily developed as a way of delivering the Word of God through the holy scripture of the Qur’an,’ says Keyworth. There are three key elements in Islamic art: geometry, arabesque and calligraphy, and they are used separately or together to create intricate designs. No other art form is so exalted.’ The origins of Arabic calligraphy One of the earliest known forms of calligraphy is Kufic, named after the city of Kufah in Iraq. One of the major exponents of the movement was the painter Madiha Umar (1908-2005), whose 1949 text, Arabic Calligraphy: An Inspiring Element in Abstract Art, outlined the possibilities for the medium.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 31, 2021 17:10 UTC