Art for All

My name is Martin Georgiev and I have been a student at The Winchester School for the past seven years. Currently I am in 10C. This column aims to enable students to experiment and try new ideas, thus giving their creativity a chance to bloom and to encourage the process and the experience of thinking and enhancing one’s personality. The need to explore art activities is important as it ensures better emotional development. Nobody can argue that art can help students relax after their long hours of studying hard. This year we will focus on art & mindfulness.

Art in the UAE

Our beloved UAE has turned 50 this year! A cosmopolitan country that never fails to impress us with its astounding beauty, energy, and cultural diversity! Moreover, this wonderful place is emerging as an epicenter for multiple art forms, beautiful poetry, the hues of its canvas, the passion of its people, and the tunes its own culture as history gracefully unfolds. Heritage and culture are both part of what UAE is made of and known for. Emiratis try their best to preserve these while staying open to the ever-evolving art world. Calligraphy is a traditional art, transforming Arabic words into works of art. Today, artists explore what the modern UAE means to them.

Instead of recalling something related to the spoken word, calligraphy is a visible expression of the highest art of all, the art of the spiritual world. Calligraphy has arguably become the link between the languages of the Muslims with the religion of Islam. The Qur'an has played an important role in the development and evolution of the Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet.

In the Middle East and East Asia, calligraphy by long and exacting tradition is considered a major art, equal to sculpture or painting. Arabic Calligraphy is a wonderful way to produce a customized gift for birthdays, friends, siblings or anyone you like. In addition, it makes great home décor.

For writing, the Arabic calligrapher employs a reed pen (qalam) with the working point cut on an angle. This feature produces a thick downstroke and a thin upstroke with an infinity of gradation in between. The line traced by a skilled calligrapher is a true marvel of fluidity and sensitive inflection, communicating the very action of the master’s hand.