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Arabic Calligraphy Workshop

[Event has ended]

Sat, 28 April 2012, 4pm - 9pm | Malay

Esplanade

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

Faizal Somadi

workshop

Calligraphy, whatever its language, is about so much more than just the mere words it forms. The very act of creation, with its sweeping brush strokes and flourishes, involves skill, instinct and responsiveness to the moment; a state of being akin to that experienced during the act of worship.

Arabic calligraphy is an expression of piety, because it is used mostly to convey the message of the Quran. While many religions use images and figurines to depict convictions and highest aspirations, early Islamic leaders chose calligraphy as their form of religious expression. Through the sizes and shapes of its 28 letters and their accompanying dots and strokes, a flowing script infused with strength and “transcendent significance” emerged. Just as the icons of other faiths represent power, so too does Arabic calligraphy.

Each character is linked by the energy that creates it, and by the positive and negative spaces in between. Everything comes together in a unified whole, its abstract beauty gradually revealing itself to the discerning eye.

Arabic calligraphy is a primary form of art for Islamic visual expression and creativity. It represents unity, beauty, and power, and appears on countless objects, from the everyday items of furniture and carpets, to the surfaces of walls, mosque interiors, tombs and the most famous sanctuary of Islam, the al-Ka'ba.
Written from right to left, Arabic calligraphy is historically related to the Latin, Greek and Aramaic alphabets, while languages such as Persian, Urdu and Malay use adaptations of the Arabic script.

At this workshop conducted by Singapore-based artist FaizalSomadi, participants will be given Arabic calligraphy worksheets. Participants will be introduced to basic Arabic calligraphic writing and its origins and functions in modern society, while also experiencing hands-on the different styles, techniques and instruments of calligraphy.