Saudi artist Ahmed Al-Sulaimani is making a name for himself blending Arabic calligraphy and graffiti-inspired techniques and was recently featured in an Arab News report.
“Calligraffiti is a fusion of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti art,” Al-Sulaimani told Arab News. “While graffiti typically uses the English language and letters, calligraffiti combines Arabic calligraphy with graffiti techniques. I form Arabic letters using graffiti-inspired styles and methods… I aim to bring this unique art form to the forefront and showcase the richness and versatility of the Arabic language”.
Al-Sulaimani is known in particular for his Arabic signage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar where he created a number of towering designs Qur’anic phrases. He has also done a mural collaboration with Jeddah Municipality.
Lovin Riyadh has images and videos of a number of his works here.
Calligraffiti has a long history in the region and Wikipedia provides an extensive description of its origins and growth.
“Calligraffiti is an art form that combines calligraphy, typography, and graffiti. It can be classified as either abstract expressionism or abstract vandalism. It is defined as a visual art that integrates letters into compositions that attempt to communicate a broader message through writing that has been aesthetically altered to move beyond the literal meaning. Simply put, it is the conscious effort of making a word or group of words into a visual composition.[1] As such it is meant to be both an aesthetic experience and provocative art—mixing tradition and precision with modern unbridled self-expression.”
“Calligraffiti is a complex process. Its specificity is in its paradoxical nature, as it is characterised by and composed of many elements that appear contradictory:
- blending of tradition and modernity
- sharing of culture and political subversion
- beauty and provocation
- precision and spontaneity
- philosophical and reactionary
- literal and metaphorical
It requires an overall vision from the artist- from the message he is trying to convey, to the shape of the letters, to the larger picture he is creating. Calligraffiti artist, Tubs, explains that the art form’s graffiti component forces the artist to reflect upon and consciously create a piece that will arouse a specific feeling or reaction in the viewer.[16] However, the use of the alphabet as an artistic medium[17] demands practice, accuracy, and foresight.”
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