Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (second right), General Manager of Katara, and calligrapher and artist Ammar Al Desouki (left) along with other guests tour the “Preserved Pearls” exhibition during its opening on Monday.
Doha: The “Preserved Pearls” exhibition, which opened on Monday at Katara Cultural Village, is a brilliant showcase of Arabic calligraphy as a treasure of Islamic and Arab culture.
The show features 18 fine works by calligrapher and artist Ammar Al Desouki through which he conveys sublime message using varied Kufic style adhering to high technical standards and bearing excellent aesthetic quality.
Arabic calligraphy is considered a creative art that has crowned the Arab and other Islamic civilizations. It is different from other types of calligraphy whose main feature is that it transcends its mission of conveying meaning to achieve an aesthetic objective.
Arabic calligraphy is a distinct art and Arabic letters have their own splendid magic as every letter has its secrets reserved in a protected place to which only the artistic and creative elites are guided. The blending of colours and lines in the Kufic style, which is the oldest calligraphic form of various Arabic scripts, contribute to the overall appeal of the paintings to every art enthusiast present at the exhibition launch.
Officially launching the exhibition, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, stressed Katara’s constant endeavour to present a variety of exhibitions to its visitors and show them on various arts, most notably the art of Arabic calligraphy.
Speaking about the exhibition, Al Sulaiti praised the craftsmanship of the artist, saying the paintings reveal the artist’s masterful integration of aesthetics and meaning.
He also underlined that the exhibition is an opportunity to show people the treasures of Islamic and Arab culture, where the development of calligraphy was linked to the golden ages of Islamic civilization. In addition, he underscored Katara’s keenness to highlight Arabic calligraphy through its many cultural events.
For his part, Desouki said: “I was honored to work on verses from the Qur’an and a number of quotations and adopted a variety of lines of Kufic calligraphy, reflecting the long march of development known in Arabic calligraphy, which is the creative art that crowned both Arab and Islamic civilizations.” The exhibition is open for public viewing until November 17 at Katara Building 22.
