Arabic Calligraphy

Though calligraphy is the art of writing, that art is measured by the interpretation of the beholder. Using the tools of a writer, whether that be the brush, ink, pen, or spray can, the artist can create a connection between symbol and gesture. If calligraphy can also be deemed as just a means to transmit a text, it is unsurprising that this can take on a decorative form. Arabic calligraphy is therefore very highly regarded and one of the most fundamental elements of Islamic art. What is inherent within Arabic script is the potential to develop a variety of ornamental forms and this can often include an underlying talismanic component of such letters. In street art, the words and letters become art themselves and even for the likes of Julien Lebbihi found here on Artsper, the letter is deemed abstract and able to evoke emotion. In graffiti, Lebbihi is never satisfied with a letter until he can give it an emotion: anger, sadness, shyness, joy etc. The artist looks for the balance, the work of the form that these heaps of lines compose. The act of seeking out such a form in order to express emotion is also found in the work of 2flui, demonstrating further that the art of Arabic calligraphy is so much more than transmitting text…