Arabic Calligraphy

I began doing my own Arabic calligraphy at 15 years old. The beautifully intricate Arabic script has always been so intriguing to me that I became obsessed with recreating it in different styles. The cascading loops and strategically placed dots and symbols carry a history and culture so rich and breathtakingly beautiful that I almost felt unworthy of recreating it.

But the progress that I have made since my first calligraphy script has brought me endless joy and personal gratification, I must say. Much like learning to write for the first time in kindergarten, the shaky Arabic penmanship became more solid and confident as the years have gone by.

My first Arabic calligraphy commission is pictured above. In the central negative space is written “The Noble Quran” in Arabic. The background is then entirely composed of the names of each of the 114 chapters in the book. This was all painted onto a wooden plaque and now lives in the home of a good friend.

This style of collaged calligraphy became a small passion of mine and I began to incorporate it in other pieces as well. For example, the piece below is a collage inspired by reading and language.

In one of my most abstract and favorite calligraphy works shown above, I put together random letters from many different languages, which all come together to spell out the word “iqra” in Arabic, which means read.

This piece combines two of my loves, reading and language. The influence of Arabic on countless other languages is a remarkable feat of what is a hugely spoken and inspirational tongue.

Only some of the languages with Arabic influence are:

French

Bosnian

Hindu

Italian

Turkish

Greek

Swahili

Amharic

Tagalog

and...

English! Wondering which English words were inspired by Arabic? Well there’s alcohol, candy, algebra, magazine, and coffee to name a few!

There are TENS more languages with Arabic influence. Now tell me that isn’t impressive.

Along with the Arabic language, Arab and Middle Eastern patterns have also left very strong marks in the world of art and design. I often make a border like this one for my calligraphy pieces to add a classic touch and antique feel. Sometimes, making the border is actually my favorite part of the whole piece.

From geometric patterns to intricate borders, you see this Islamic style of art all over the world in architecture, metalwork, ceramics, paintings and more. Islamic art has impacted art movements and styles like the Italian Renaissance and Chinese and Indian architecture.

What I love the most about art is its collaborative nature. The pessimist in me would say that true originality is impossible because everything that is made is recycled to a certain extent.

But the realistic optimist in me says that collaboration is one of the best parts of life, and is very much an actuality of the arts. I’m definitely not mad about it.

This one above is probably my favorite piece I have ever painted. A recreation of a holy Islamic site. The Ka’bah has a deep black cloth with intricately alluring calligraphy printed on it. This calligraphy has been recreated thousands of times by different artists and is a favorite of many.

It now hangs in the home of a family member, and as any other artist will tell you, seeing something you made hanging in someone’s home when you visit is a feeling unlike ANY other. There is just something so special about gold intricate calligraphy on a black background that appeals to my senses!

Thank you for taking a look at some of my work. Although I am still improving, it certainly brings a lot of enjoyment, meaning, and fulfillment to my life.