Wissam Shawkat

Wissam Shawkat was born in 1974 in Basra (Iraq). As a master of calligraphy he has received numerous prizes and has participated as both an artist and committee member at multiple editions of the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial and the Dubai International Calligraphy Exhibition. ‘Letters of Love’, his 2011 solo exhibition at Reed Space in New York, introduced a global audience to a series of contemporary compositions. With ‘Monumental 11/11’, a 2016 exhibition at Tashkeel (an influential creative hub and gallery in Dubai), Shawkat visually announced his break with traditional calligraphy and his commitment to instead use the letters as a foundation for works of dynamic abstraction. Shawkat is based in Dubai, where he is engaged full time as an artist, designer, and Arabic typographer. His work is regularly featured in books on Arabic calligraphy and typography, included in museum exhibitions, and acquired by private collectors.