Its third edition includes paintings and pieces in Khawla Art Gallery
Calligraphy Festival. A journey with Kufi, Diwani and the artist's sense
The festival was not limited to displaying works, but also sought to introduce the styles and aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy. Cinematographer: Patrick Castillo
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Paintings and pieces of art based on Arabic letters, and a rich journey between aesthetics offered to visitors by the calligraphy festival, which recently launched its third edition at Khawla Art Gallery in Dubai Design District, among a group of calligraphers and guests who love this original art.
The festival was attended by a group of prominent local and foreign artists and calligraphers who seek to participate in the revival of Arabic calligraphy.
Among the most prominent calligraphers participating in the festival is the Iraqi calligrapher and engineer Saman Al-Zahawi, who mixes painting and Arabic calligraphy, as the painting "Just Talk" embodied this mixture of Arabic calligraphy and drawings.
He said: «Calligraphy has wide fields, and the real artist is the one who works to highlight this art in his own way, so I do not follow a specific school in calligraphy, but I created a special line for my artwork»
He added, "I am participating for the second time in this festival with an artwork entitled (Just Talk) that took seven months of continuous work to implement, as I was inspired by my conversation with one of the people who said during a dialogue with me that talking is (just talk), but in my opinion speech must always have meaning, which is what I wanted to show in the painting in which I participated."
"He and She"
Lebanese artist Sandra Wehbe worked on a collection of creations titled "He and She", ranging from paintings, jewelry and furniture pieces inspired by the Kufic calligraphy that emerged in the works.
Sandra told Emirates Today: "I was influenced by the Kufic calligraphy, which is characterized by having square geometric shapes, which is very old, although it is one of the lines that suit our time."
"Kufic calligraphy itself is strong and sharp, so I wanted to add an element of romance, and I chose to have my works in love, which was a great challenge for me, but I enjoyed the work," she said.
She pointed out that she tries to work on different materials such as wood and iron to show the line in an unusual way, specifically through the pieces of furniture she designed, and also worked on designs and jewelry pieces that were characterized by their simplicity.
Sandra added: "The world is moving towards simplicity in jewelry, so I focused on maintaining that to highlight the beauty of Kufic calligraphy."
She explained that it is the second time she has participated in this festival, expressing her pride in attending because of the interest of the event in artists and paintings that rely on Arabic calligraphy.
Khawla Art Gallery also gave visitors the opportunity to learn Arabic calligraphy with a group of its most talented people, and experience the rich culture and history that support this beautiful tradition through various workshops presented by experts, including the Syrian calligrapher Anwar Al-Halawani, who shed light during a workshop entitled "Diwani calligraphy between the base and the feeling" on features of this art. He said: «The workshop aims to introduce the clear Diwani calligraphy and the importance of feeling for the calligrapher, as this line in particular is not linked to certain rules, and is written with the sense of the artist, which was delivered during the workshop».
Transition point
For his part, Lebanese calligrapher Ghaleb Huwaila presented a workshop in which he highlighted the importance of empty spaces in the painting and their role in shaping them. "When we talk about calligraphy, we are used to learning its foundations, which is something that must be learned and preserved, but on the other hand, we must also learn the importance of empty space in artworks and their distribution in the painting, which I wanted to highlight during my workshop," he said.
He added that the festival is rich in types of Arabic calligraphy and calligraphers, who are distinguished by different styles that highlight the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy.
He praised the UAE's support for artists and talented people, noting that his participation in the UAE marked a turning point in his artistic career, and inspired his paintings.
"My participation in the Sharjah Calligraphy Forum in 2018 was a turning point for me, and from here began my belonging and love for those interested in art, which I saw in the UAE," he said.
He continued, "I participate in a series entitled (Al Wasl) that I worked on after settling in the UAE and was inspired by the manifestations of mercy that I felt here, as I started as a person who discovers the country and picks up the threads that connect it to it, and the mercy that I touched drew me with many attitudes from strangers and friends of different nationalities, so I began to think about the basis of mercy, and from here the idea of work crystallized."
Names
A large group of artists participated in the third edition of the calligraphy festival at Khawla Art Gallery, including: Abdullah Akkar, Ahmed Al-Mahri, Areen, Belkhiri Al-Bahi Yahya, Fadi Al-Owaid, Fatima Salmeen, Hadi Qassous, Kazem Khorasani, Rasha Qassem, and other senior calligraphers who enriched the festival with various paintings and pieces.