EXHIBITION AT THE 7TH EDITION OF SHARJAH CALLIGRAPHY BIENNIAL Mysterious Letters, Realm of the Hidden

Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial Poster / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmed

Shafaq Ahmed, honoured to be invited to participate in the 7th Edition of Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, told us "This gathering of the artists and their work is the culmination of calligraphic art from all parts of the world. It was a chance to meet masters of calligraphy from many countries. My installation at the Sharjah Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the solo exhibits in the contemporary style of calligraphy where artists from the United States, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Poland and other countries participated. I had an opportunity to present my research based on the Holy Quran in a unique way, and the audience found it to be intriguing and inspiring."

Shafaq Ahmed / Courtesy of the Artist

The installation 'Mysterious Letters, Realm of the Hidden' is comprised of 78 pieces in total, measuring 365 cm high and 640 cm wide. Each piece is created with pigment on canvas. The series is based on the letters that appear in the beginning of certain surahs in the Qur'an, known also as Luheh Qurani. Acording to the artist the installation required a lot of precise research. Shafaq found total 14 Arabic letters in the beginning of 29 surahs of the Quran and these 14 letters have been repeated 78 times in total. Number of times each of the 14 images is repeated corresponds to how many times it appears in the Luheh Qurani. One example of Luheh Qurani is 'Alif Laam Meem' in the surah Bekara.

The installation 'Mysterious Letters, Realm of the Hidden' / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmed

The installation 'Mysterious Letters, Realm of the Hidden', detail / Courtesy of Shafaq Ahmed

The installation is on view until June 6, 2016 at the Sharjah Museum of Contemporary Art.