JEDDAH: Mawadah Muhtasib, an emerging Saudi artist who reversed the typeface of the Arabic language, is well on her way to becoming a prominent name in the global art scene.
From learning the girl mother’s technique of writing backward at age 13 to exhibiting in London and New York City, Muhtasib has generated international intrigue in the particular art of Arabic by creating the first reversed Arabic calligraphy, or calligraffiti, typeface.
Her messages are not only meant to be read, but are also designed to be deciphered. Engaging her audience with the challenge of decoding letters is a large part associated with experiencing the artwork itself.
“It’s about expanding your human capabilities into creating the impossible. And this is exactly what I have been trying to do, ” she told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
The Arabic language is one of the particular richest artwork forms, the artist says, but in modernity, it is difficult to appreciate the depths of something that has become so ordinary.
Born out of a quest in order to layer the particular heritage associated with Arabic letters with innovative graffiti art methods, her work dares to become the first of its kind, granting the girl Dubai’s Art Bus competition award and a chance to show her work at exclusive showcases.
As graffiti art surged in popularity in 2013, Muhtasib experimented with mural painting alongside a novel group, hoping to develop the boundaryless form of artwork.
With a vision in order to modernize the traditional, the girl created the decorative typeface that mixed Arabic plus Latin, written from left to right.
It’s about expanding your human capabilities into creating the impossible.
Mawadah Muhtasib
Muhtasib said: “We are so used to Arabic calligraphy when it comes to Thuluth calligraphy, Al-Kufi, Al-Naskh, and so on, and we just read that way and pass it on.
“When I’m doing my Arabic calligraphy, people sit and stare at my work for hours trying in order to figure away what these letters are usually, and the moment they realize it’s Persia, they start to analyze and see all these characters in a different form that we as Arabic speakers are not really utilized to. ”
The Arabic language will be one associated with the richest art forms, the artist says, however in modernity, it really is difficult to prefer the depths of something that has become so ordinary.
The goal is not only to get the viewer to read but in order to actively reflect on the beauty and type of each stroke and letter within the alphabet.
Muhtasib now passes on the girl craft via community training courses exclusively for women, most recently at Saudi’s largest light-based festival, Noor Riyadh.
“In my workshops, I perform not teach people to write in reverse … I’m basically giving you the key of how to use the tools associated with starting to practice in the form of Latin calligraphy, ” she stated.
As soon as students understand the anatomy from the font family, Muhtasib introduces slanted brushes, layering techniques plus stroke pressure. From the first session, students are sent home with a new creative form of expression. “The soul of the person is usually laid out upon a page, ” the lady said.
Writing in reverse is not new; the artist’s mother passed down the habit after having to write backward to maintain privacy at work. Alongside that, she passed down her passion for creative innovation.
While most calligraphers in the particular Kingdom were mimicking Western methods, Muhtasib, at 16 years old, was inspired and encouraged simply by Tunisian performer eL Seed and Saudi Moroccan designer Shaker Kashgari.
“I took that trick that the mom taught me years ago on how to create and then I changed it in to a decorative typeface, ” she mentioned.
The concept was designed in order to preserve the rich heritage of the particular Arabic vocabulary. For foreigners, it offers a chance to engage in the language and learn its history.
“This is definitely Arabic calligraphy in reverse that I required, improved, adjusted and made into a different form. But viewers will also wonder exactly how it actually looked like (originally) plus this will make a lot of people go in-depth and find out a lot more about Persia calligraphy, ” Muhtasib said.
The philosophy behind the particular Typeform has gained interest from international luxury brands such because Louis Vuitton, Carolina Herrera, Montblanc, Sephora and more, resulting in several collaborations.
Muhtasib urges creators in order to push the boundaries of art plus culture.
With calligraphy, “your sky’s the particular limit, ” she stated.