The Shaklif Center opened its artistic season for the current year with a comprehensive exhibition of Iraqi calligrapher Sam Shawkat. The exhibition, entitled "Discordant Rebellion: Out of the Normal in Characters," is the second solo exhibition by calligrapher Sam Shawkat in Teshkeel.
The Center's deputy director, Lisa Balichgar, explained that the unique artistic practices and fine craftsmanship of the Iraqi artist and calligrapher residing in Dubai and the holder of several awards "are a testament to the innovations that are provided in the fields of Arabic calligraphy and printing in the 21st century. On the one hand, Traditional patterns, and on the other hand, the feeling that it is completely natural from an artist who has been able to establish a long-term relationship with the same characters ».
Wissam Shawkat's participation in Shakliq is in 2009, one year after the inauguration of the Center, which is an incubator for the development of contemporary art and design practice in the UAE. Since then, the Iraqi calligrapher has set up many workshops in Arabic calligraphy, in an effort to inspire new generations of practitioners. Shawkat also participated in the group exhibition "Hawfat Al Nour" in 2011, while he held his first solo exhibition in the form of the year 2015, entitled "Monomenthal 11/11." Shaukat is born in the Iraqi city of Basra in 1974.
"Each Arabic character paints a dynamic inner beauty, looking at it, gives you a feeling that it beats and moves, and I am captivated by the multi-faceted alphabet," said Sam Shawkat. "My work takes the Arabic calligraphy to new levels and trends. The Arabic calligraphy is freed from its textual context as a mere character to become an optical form, which makes my artistic work to serve the form and artistic rhythm."