116 Mosque of al-Salih Tala’i‘, Islamic Cairo, Cairo, Egypt. Matjaz Kacicnik, photographer. Source: Archnet.org
In collaboration with calligrapher and graphic designer Sangeetha Kowsik, AKDC@MIT will offer an introductory workshop on “Arabic Calligraphy: An Artistic Journey from Kufic to Contemporary Design,” January 14, 2021 from 2 to 4 PM EST, during MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP). The workshop introduces a brief history of Arabic calligraphy, a tradition whose practice spans more than one thousand years and continues today, where it is globally recognized for its unique aesthetics of geometric proportion and sinuous curve. In the first part of this workshop, the most important of the classical Arabic scripts are introduced through famous examples of artworks, along with the technical vocabulary used to describe calligraphic works in this tradition. The second part of the workshop takes the practice of Arabic calligraphy into the twenty-first century and the realm of contemporary art and design. Here, Sangeetha Kowsik will introduce her practice and other contemporary examples, speaking to contemporary resonances of this art form and providing a demonstration of technique.
No previous knowledge of Arabic is necessary: just a willingness to look closely! To register, go to: https://libcal.mit.edu/event/7328856
This event is organized by Matt Saba, AKDC Visual Resources Librarian. The MIT Libraries offer a variety of IAP sessions including GIS training at various levels, workshops on data management and visualization, web-scraping, and more. Consult the calendar for more information.
