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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 January 2000 Issue No. 463 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 January 2000 Issue No. 463
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Remembering the master
The work of calligraphy artist Sayed Ibrahim is reaching new audiences with an exhibition at the Italian Cultural Centre. Rania Khallaf loops the loop
A verse from the Qur'an adorning the invitation to a calligraphic
exhibit at the Italian Cultural Centre
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There are 35-odd calligraphy schools throughout Egypt, the most important of which is in Bab Al-Louq. Although private calligraphy schools existed before the beginning of the 20th century, King Fouad established the first modern state-sponsored school in Cairo in 1920. He brought the greatest masters of the art, such as Sheikh Aziz El-Rifa'i, from Turkey to train Egyptian apprentices.
Sayed Ibrahim (1897-1994) was one of the masters who taught at the King Fouad School. He formed the 20th century's first Egyptian generation of master calligraphers. Ibrahim mastered many styles of calligraphy, especially Thuluth, Naskh and Farsi.
His work decorates many mosques in and outside Egypt, such as Al-Fouli Mosque in Minya, Al-Salam Mosque in Giza, and Bengaloya Mosque in India.
The Turkish Research Centre (IRCICA), based in Istanbul, chose to honour Ibrahim in the framework of its international competition in Arabic calligraphy this year.
Ibrahim was not your common, garden-variety calligrapher, however: he was also a critic and poet, a member of the Apollo literary group and an active member of the plastic arts committee of the Higher Council for Arts, Literature, and Social Sciences.
The event was a forum for discussions of the possibility of forming a younger generation of artists. Hamed El-Oweidi, a renowned calligrapher, was critical of the educational process: "Teachers themselves lack the professional expertise," he said. Besides, he added, there is no section devoted to calligraphy at the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Arabic script as used to headline important news in Al-Ahram newspaper
Nor are calligraphers bound by a sense of solidarity expressed in institutional form. "We established an association, but there's no point. Some members want to turn it into a syndicate, thereby acquiring the right to claim subsidised social services, but they ignored the importance of cultural activities," El-Oweidi said.
The exhibition, which also featured the works of three artists representing the current generation of calligraphers, reflects a new tendency to introduce computer-assisted graphics.
El-Oweidi and Ahmed El-Abhar, both of whose work is currently on show at the exhibition, agree that this sort of innovation will save the art of calligraphy from possible extinction.
Mounir El-Sha'rani, a Syrian calligrapher also participating in the exhibition, rejects this new trend, however. El-Sha'rani's works are pure calligraphy: he disdains the use of colour, graphics or painting. El-Sha'rani, who favours Kufic script, believes that "calligraphy is an independent art. The Arabic letter has its own artistic value. If we mix calligraphy with other elements, the viewer will not have the same feelings and impressions." He suggests that calligraphers improve their tools and discover new means of expression.
The prices of the pieces on show range from LE500 to LE5,000. There are fairly few visitors, however, and most of these are not Egyptian. Until this week, only three or four pieces had been sold. "There is undoubtedly a big difference between turnout at exhibitions in the '60s and today. In the '60s, educated people used to decorate their houses with calligraphy. This trend has changed, because of prevailing artistic trends. The fact that there are so few exhibitions like this one also explains why cultured people are alienated from this art form," El-Abhar suggested.
