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Lulwah Al Homoud, Rafa Nasiri

THE ART LIBRARY: DISCOVERING ARAB ARTISTS

CURATED BY MONA KHAZINDAR AND MISK ART INSTITUTE

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The third and fourth volume of “The Art Library,” pioneering series of slipcases initiated by the Misk Art Institute to provide a comprehensive panorama of Saudi and Arab visual artists.

These exquisitely designed volumes offer an informal yet richly detailed introduction to the most prominent figures of Arab art. The slipcased set, available both in English and Arabic editions, contains two books, each dedicated to a Saudi and a non-Saudi artist.

Lulwah Al Homoud is a Saudi Arabian contemporary artist. Drawing on traditional Islamic and Western art, her work explores calligraphy and mathematical processes. Her work is distinguished by her use of complex Arabic letters to construct abstract yet technical works on paper.

Rafa Nasiri is a contemporary Iraqi painter, printmaker, educator and author whose work combines an abstract reflection on Arabic calligraphy, poetry, and Chinese art. His use of color and line resonates with the aesthetics of the Hurufiyya movement and abstract expressionism.

Lulwah Al Homoud and Rafa Nasiri illustrate the vitality and continuous renewal of the art of script and calligraphy in the Arab world. The two artists are from different generations, and their works represent two different genres that are both influenced, inspired, and rooted in Arab artistic culture.

THE ART LIBRARY

DISCOVERING ARAB ARTISTS

Edited by Mona Khazindar

LULWAH AL HOMOUD | UNIVERSAL CONNOTATIONS Lulwah Al Homoud (born in 1967) is a pioneer of the Saudi contemporary art movement, whose works fuse spirituality, the written word and mathematical calculations in a novel artistic vocabulary, or what she describes as “spiritual art.” Drawing inspiration from the spirit of Islamic art, as well as the oeuvres of poets and philosophers such as Abu al-Atahiya and Jalal al-Din Rumi, Al Homoud constructs dialogues between language and letters, developing a relationship between form, concept, dimension and spirituality. This book is an anthology of her works, and explores the intersections between spirituality and calligraphy.

RAFA NASIRI | COSMIC SCENES Iraqi artist Rafa Nasiri (1940–2013) is considered one of the most influential artists within the sphere of fine arts in the Arab world, largely due to his artistry and his role in establishing some of the most notable art groups. A painter, printmaker, graphic designer, and art teacher, Nasiri also authored several art books, including one on his early experience in China. He is known for his unique abstract works inspired by nature, open spaces, and cosmic scenes in which he incorporated Arabic letters, poetry, and calligraphy. This book documents Nasiri’s career, focusing on the distinction of his experience and artistic visions that reflect the diversity of his creativity and the depth of his awareness, as well as his legacy within the canon of modern art.

Art historian Mona Khazindar THE ART LIBRARY is an expert in modern and DISCOVERING ARAB ARTISTS contemporary Arab visual arts. Formerly director general of Edited by the Institut du monde arabe, and curator of a large number Mona Khazindar of exhibitions, Khazindar is the author of Visions from Abroad, Historical and Contemporary Representations of Arabia (Skira, 2019). Misk Art Institute is Saudi Arabia’s leading nonprofit cultural organization that empowers local artists through an interconnected ecosystem of support, expertise, and education.

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128 pages each volume, 6K x 9K” 70 color illustrations Cardboard slipcase with two flexi cover volumes: English edition: 978-88-9183220-7 $60.00 Arabic edition: 978-88-9183400-3 $60.00 Can: $80.00 UK: £42.50 November 23, 2021 Rights: World English RIZZOLI

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