Khaled Al-Saai / The Sea: Poem by Mahmoud Darwish / watercolour, aquarell on paper / 2006 / Kashya Hildebrand

Al Saai works in an astonishing range of styles, from decorous classical modes, which he often uses for quotations from poetry, to radically inventive compositions, in which lettering is fragmented into fantastical, almost pictorial compositions. The breathtaking beauty of his work makes it immediately accessible to all.

The Thulth style of calligraphy is the strongest of the Arabic calligraphy styes, created during the Abbasid period in the 9th century in Baghdad.  Most of the letters in this style are the shape of a triangle at the top and the vowels are added as decoration.

The Diwany Jalii and the Thulth styles are the most decorative. They are influenced by three Islamic schools of calligraphy (Arabic, Persian and Ottoman).  Diwany evolved during the Ottoman Era (1670 to 1700). {Read More…}

For what it is worth, a few selections from the classics. These are excerpted from Lin Yutang, The Chinese Theory of Art: Translations from the Masters of Chinese Art (Heinemnn: London, 1967). If anyone has different translations please post…

Confucius, Analects, Bk. III

Tse-Hsia sai, “What does this line [in the Book of Poetry] Mean? It says, “How winning her smiles! How attractive her eyes! And the white makes up the pattern.”

Confucius replied, “In the art of painting, the white powder is applied last.”

“Do you mean that the rituals should come last?”

“Oh, Ah-shang, you have suggested a point here. You are worth to discuss the Book of Poetry.”

Zhuangzi, Chapter on “T’ien Tse-fang”

King Yuan of Sung was having a painting session. All the artists had come; the bowed and remained standing, licking their brushes and preparing the ink. Half were still outside. One artist came late, sauntering in. He made the usual bow, but did not join the others in line and went straight inside. The king asked someone to see what he was doing. He had stripped off his gown and was seated bare-bodied. “There’s a true painter!” said the king.

Han Fei, Chapter on Waich’u

Someone was engaged to paint bamboo panels for the ruler of Chou and took three years to complete them. When they were completed, the king saw that it looked simply like splotches of lacquer on plain bamboo and was angry. “Please,” said the painter, “have a wall of ten panels made with an eight-foot window in it. Place the painting against it at sunrise and then look at it.” This the ruler of Chou did, and he saw myriad forms of dragons, snakes, animals and chariots, all complete. He was then greatly pleased. This shows that although the bamboo painting was no mean achievement, it served the same purpose as plain or lacquered panels.

A frined was doing some painting for the ruler of Ch’i.

“What are the most difficult things to paint?”

“Dogs and horses.”

“And what are the easiest?”

“Ghosts. One recognizes dogs and horses for one sees themevery day and it is difficult to make them seem like real ones. Nobody has seen ghosts and therfore it is easy.”