TALAH TURK (ABU DHABI)
Tucked within one of the UAE’s heritage hubs, the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, is an ancient art form that stood the test of time: Arabic calligraphy.
Inscribed in 2021 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Arabic calligraphy is the “artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace, and beauty”.
Aletihad sat down with the world-renowned Formation Artist and Arabic Calligrapher Mohammed Mandi, who spoke about his career as the UAE’s first professional calligrapher, and the need to preserve and revive this timeless art form.
Fuelled by Creativity
Walking into Bait Al Khatt, the Arabic Calligraphy section of the Cultural Foundation, one is met with Mandi’s warm smile and stream of welcoming words. While he has more than enough reasons to show off his life’s achievements, Mandi chooses to modestly share his story with the simple hope of inspiring a new generation to learn and appreciate Arabic calligraphy.
Speaking about the art like a lifelong friend, Mandi admitted that mastering calligraphy requires a lot of love, patience, and consistency, but he assures his students that learning the craft is worth the time and effort.
“Calligraphy is a fine art. It’s the art of Arabs, that has proven its worth across the globe among all other languages,” he said.
Speaking about the versatility and fluidity of the art, he said, “If you love someone, you could write their name a thousand different ways without getting bored or running out of creativity. Calligraphy is like the ocean, you could stand at the beach, swim in the shallow end, or dive deep and explore its treasures. There are seashells, coral reefs, fish, and pearls. You can do with the art what you please.”
Patriotism on Paper
Explaining that the best pieces are full of love, Mandi pointed to a piece he made, which, at a closer look, is a compilation of the word “Zayed” written over and over again to form an image of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Mandi explained that he views the Founding Father as an artist. He explained that the way the late Sheikh Zayed drew life into the desert, turning it into a green paradise, is nothing short of a great work of art.
“Every artist works with a plain canvas, and the UAE’s desert was his,” Mandi said.
Another expression of his appreciation for his country is the work he has done for UAE’s banknotes.
“Having my calligraphy on our currency is an honour, as it is a service to my country. The fact that my work made it into every person’s pocket is extremely rewarding, and it is something that will forever remain as part of our nation’s history.”
Mandi added that he was later asked to do art for the Syrian and Bahraini currencies, after which he worked on passports, drawing art featured in the Emirati, Kuwaiti, Qatari, and Omani passports.
Among the artist’s countless other achievements is the capital’s iconic logo. The red “Abu Dhabi” logo can be seen all over the emirate, including vehicle licence plates.
Early Days
According to Mandi, his interest in calligraphy started from a very young age. He recalls the exact moment that he knew he had found his calling when a teacher said something that stuck with him.
“During break time, all my classmates would rush outside to play football, but I would get my lunch from the cafeteria and head back to class to write the name of the next class on the board. One day, I was preparing for Arabic class, and dipped a piece of chalk into water - so that erasing my writing wouldn’t be easy - and wrote out some poetry on the board.”
“The teacher, whom I will never forget, walked into class and asked, ‘Who did that?’, and everyone immediately told on me. There was a whole debate about what my punishment should be before my teacher said, ‘You will make something of yourself one day. You will leave your mark in this world with your art’, which resonates with me to this day,” he said.
“Just like that chalk was glued to the board, my art will stick for a long time and make a difference,” he explained.
Mandi pursued formal education in calligraphy at the age of 24, went to Cairo and was apprenticed to the renowned calligrapher Sayed Ibrahim.
He described the difficulty of the diploma programme and examinations, noting that in the end, he passed with flying colours and was ranked first in his graduating class.
Calligraphy is a lifelong learning process, and Mandi continued his journey with a visit to Istanbul in 2004, where he obtained the “Honourable Hilya” certificate from Hasan Jalibi.
The honour is is considered the highest qualification in the field of calligraphy. Lineage of LearningOne of the most interesting things about the world of calligraphy is the importance of valuing teachers and prioritising education.
Upon completing the apprenticeship programme in Cairo, Mandi recalls his teacher telling him, “Don’t forget to keep your door open to those who want to learn. You students will carry your name and keep your legacy alive.”
He also spoke about how students must graciously ask their teachers to write them letters that they passed their course, which include their signature and a mention of their own teachers to express appreciation, and a respect for the lineage of learning.
Passing the Torch
A calligrapher used to be the closest person to the action, but now people ask, “Do you still scribble?” Mandi joked.
Today, the calligrapher is on a mission to empower the younger generation to keep the art alive. He stressed the importance of teaching children calligraphy while they are young, noting that it should be a core subject, like science and mathematics.
“Just like there is an Arabic language teacher, art teacher, and a sports teacher, there should be a calligraphy teacher specialised in the skill,” he said.
“We’re working on a calligraphy practice book, which we hope will eventually be distributed in schools,” he revealed.
For this project to be successful, there should be an agreement between all the relevant authorities, he said.