Visual Reflections on Arabic Poetry

In association with ADMAF In Arabic, the term Khatt references writing as drawing denoting the dimensions of calligraphy as an art form first developed to preserve the sacred words of the Quran and adhering to strict rules and styles. The formal calligraphic tradition dominated until the 1940s, when Arabic letters appeared in modern Arab art drawn in an abstract style. These fragments of Arabic texts were a reaffirmation of Arab identity and an assertion of the personal and variable in contrast to the sacred and immutable. Recently, Arab poets in collaboration with Arab artists and artists who write poetry created works that empower the image and enrich the word. This lecture will explore ways in which cursive writing in the form of poetry is used as an element of composition to create a union between two aesthetics. Salwa Mikdadi Head of the Arts & Culture Programme, The Emirates Foundation