The art of Arabic calligraphy originates in the transcription of the Quranic revelation, an expression of faith in God, as well as the beauty and harmony of Arabic script. Over the course of a millennia, it has been enhanced, codified, stylized, and lent itself to abstraction. In 2022, following an initiative led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a collaboration between a total of 16 Arabic speaking countries, Arabic calligraphy was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, thus testifying to its immense value for humanity.
Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the second edition of the Scripts and Calligraphy: Paths to the Soul exhibition and catalog focus on four complementary themes: Light, Letter, Space, and Poetry, all of which shed light on the spirituality that infuses both the reflection and techniques of the calligrapher, and the emotion that Arabic calligraphy arouses in those who read it and contemplate it.
The exhibition gracefully interlaces classical and contemporary artworks, thus creating a constant dialogue between past and present. It casts light on Arabic calligraphy as both an ancient craft and a modern art. It will be presented initially in Qasr Khuzam, a palace in Jeddah dating from the first quarter of the twentieth century (23rd February – 23rd May 2023), and then in JAX, Diriyah – a contemporary exhibition space in Riyadh (23rd June – 15th September 2023).
Scripts and Calligraphy: Paths to the Soul catalogue is an invitation to embark on an intimate journey of discovery and reflection on Arabic calligraphy, which represents an inherent part of the culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It constitutes a personal encounter with calligraphy as a sublimation of the cultural treasure that the Arabic alphabet embodies.
