UAE: Experts and enthusiasts of Islamic calligraphy gather in Abu Dhabi for the International Calligraphy Competition awards

Record ID: 517029

  • Title: UAE: Experts and enthusiasts of Islamic calligraphy gather in Abu Dhabi for the International Calligraphy Competition awards
  • Date: 4th June 2010
  • Summary: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (JUNE 02, 2010) (REUTERS) EXHIBITION SHOWCASING WINNERS' WORK CLOSE OF SIGN READING (English/ Arabic): "8th International Calligraphy Competition" VARIOUS OF WORK ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE DISCUSSING WORK WHILE LOOKING AT EXHIBITION. COMPETITION JUDGE AND CALLIGRAPHY TEACHER BELEID HAMEED LOOKING AROUND THE EXHIBITION (SOUNDBITE) (
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVABXWWVK8RJ8YX2FJ828JNFMF8W
  • Story Text: Calligraphers, experts and enthusiasts of Islamic calligraphy gathered in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (June 3) for the International Calligraphy Competition awards which recognises the best practitioners from the Arab and Muslim worlds in the field.
    At the exhibition held to showcase the winning pieces, participants, judges and guests examined and discussed in detail the lines, style and dots of each piece, subtle nuances unfamiliar to most non-calligraphers.
    Dressed in his country's traditional dress, competition judge Beleid Hameed, a Moroccan teaching calligraphy in Cairo, was keen to explain what distinguishes calligraphy originating from North Africa to others.
    "This type of calligraphy comes from the old Kufi calligraphy, it's distinguished by its fluidity and it doesn't follow the common dotting rules used in the Eastern (Mashreq) calligraphy, it is written phonetically, because the old residents of the Maghreb, the Berber, when they embraced Islam they took this type of calligraphy and evolved it," said Beleid, who took pride in teaching a number of the competition winners over the years including one of the very few female winners in this year's contest.
    Beleid explained that initially Islamic calligraphy was divided into two categories, Magherb and Mashreq styles, the latter including some of the oldest and most common forms such as the the Kufi, Diwani and Thuluth, while the the latter came later with the spread of the Islam to the west.
    Furthermore, each subcategory has its own form, some evolving to accommodate changes in society due to spread of the Islamic faith
    "This is one type of Kufi that was developed from Quranic Kufi, it was used long time ago, one of its unique attributes is its use of formation (figuration on the letters) despite the fact that before it, writings didn't carry any formations because Arabs of that time knew what was written instinctively so they didn't need formations, but when calligraphy spread in the Muslim world, in non-Arab countries or countries with weak Arabic, mispronunciation and misinterpretation of the Quran started and there were reading mistakes so formations were used," said Beleid.
    Wednesday's ceremony was the 8th edition of the International Calligraphy Competition, which takes place every three years. Some 700 competitors took part in this year's competition with 1000 pieces of works submitted in 10 calligraphy categories, with participation from 31 countries worldwide.
    On the importance of such event, Beleid said that calligraphic art in general is something at which the Muslim world excels, and events like this celebrate the existence of the art form.
    "Now in the 21st Century, just as the Greeks have the right to be proud that they were the ones who invented the theatre and the French can be proud that they invented cinema, so Muslims have the right to be be proud that they were the inventors of calligraphy, because that's what distinguishes them from other nations and civilisations. There is no other nation that can claim a share of this art," he said.
    The winners of the competition were announced in the event's homeland in Turkey in April this year, but the awards ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi, which part-sponsors the event, this week.
    According to the organisers the Jury's criteria in judging the competition are based on conformity with the rules of calligraphy, performance in writing and creativity of the composition.
    A familiar face at the competition is Sabah Arbilli whose talent for calligraphy started as a hobby and has become his full time profession. The Iraqi calligraphy teacher, now based in London, has been winning awards in the competition since he started taking part in 1998. On Wednesday (June 3) he collected the two top prizes, in the Thuluth and Naskh categories.
    "Most calligraphers, when they feel that their work matures, they take part in competitions so that other people can appreciate the level they have reached, and they are the ones who will really assess the work. My winning the two top prizes in this international competition, which had more than 1000 works submitted, it gives me encouragement and motivation, that I have reached a high level in the art of calligraphy," said Arbilli while standing next to one of his award winning pieces.
    Arbilli later added that he is considering making his entry in the competition his last, to allow room for new generations wishing to compete for his place.
    The calligraphic art on display was complimented by traditional music played by folkloric bands and a mixture of modern and traditional Arabic food.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register