Calligraffiti Explained

Calligraffiti is an art form that combines calligraphy, typography, and graffiti. It can be classified as either abstract expressionism or abstract vandalism. It is defined as a visual art that integrates letters into compositions that attempt to communicate a broader message through writing that has been aesthetically altered to move beyond the literal meaning. Simply put, it is the conscious effort of making a word or group of words into a visual composition.[1] As such it is meant to be both an aesthetic experience and provocative art—mixing tradition and precision with modern unbridled self-expression.

Definition and brief history

The origins of the term, "calligraffiti" are unclear. The Dutch artist Niels Shoe Meulman is often incorrectly credited with coining the term in 2007, when he used it as the title of his solo exhibition.[2] Meulman describes calligraffiti as "traditional handwriting with a metropolitan attitude" and a "way of translating the art of the street to the interior of museums, galleries and apartments." In an interview he explains the technique itself as "directness in the whole, finesse in the details. An even balance between seeing and reading word and image. … letters, writing and language itself becomes an image or abstraction. On the other hand, basic shapes and splats become language."'[3]

Use of the term, however, predates the contributions of Niels Shoe Meulman by at least thirty years. The Canadian painter, Brion Gysin used the term in his final exhibition, Calligraffiti of Fire held at the Galerie Samy Kinge in Paris between 19 April and 19 May in 1986 and the term was also used as the title of the book which accompanied Gysin's exhibition.[4] The term was also used in a book about post-modernism, Spirits Hovering Over the Ashes: Legacies of Postmodern Theory by H.L. Hix in 1995.[5]

Jordanian artist and art historian Wijdan Ali also used the term, "calligraffiti" in her book, Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, (1997) to describe a style of art that had been flourishing across the Middle East and North Africa from the mid-20th century. She defined calligraffiti as the use of "script of ordinary writing where the work is composed of the artist's personalised handwriting within a modern composition."[6] Ali wanted to use the term because she saw this type of art as being inspired by calligraphy yet, also close to the scribbling of graffiti artists. Pioneer artists in this style include: Hassan Massoudy, Hossein Zenderoudi and Parviz Tanavoli.[7] Ali locates calligraffiti art as a distinct style within the School of Calligraphic Art (also known as the Hurufiyya movement).[8]

Calligraffiti is distinguished from other styles of calligraphic art (such as Pure Calligraphy, Neoclassical, Modern Classical, Freeform, Abstract calligraphy, Calligraphic Combinations and Unconscious Calligraphy) in that it has no rules and artists require no formal training.[9] Whereas, traditional calligraphy in the Islamic world is bound by very strict rules, not the least a prohibition on using representations of the human form in manuscripts, calligraffiti artists break free from such rules and allow themselves to reshape and deconstruct letters as well as to combine them with other symbols and figures in creative ways.[9] Calligraffiti artists are not confined to the use of actual letters. Instead, they go beyond a simple transformation of Arabic or English-language words into visual compositions, and invent new languages.[10]

Ali also makes a distinction between calligraffiti and pseudo-calligraffiti. Straight calligraffiti refers to the use of calligraphy without the rules of proportion while pseudo-calligraffiti is a total abstraction in which the letters may or may not be legible.[11]

The practice of calligraffiti appears to have begun in the Middle East and North Africa in around the 1950s, when local artists, searching for a visual language that expressed their national identity and heritage, began incorporating Arabic letters, as a graphic form, into their artworks.[12] Artists such as the Lebanese painter and poet, Etel Adnan (b. 1925); the Egyptian painter, Ramzi Moustafa (b. 1926) and the Iraqi painter-sculptor and philosopher, Shakir Hassan Al Said (b.1925) all searched for ways to use Arabic letters in abstract compositions.[13]

The incidence of calligraffiti gathered momentum during the early 21st-century when Middle Eastern street artists co-opted urban spaces for calligraffiti art designed to convey political or provocative statements. This street art practice was especially conspicuous during the wave of uprisings between 2010 and 2013, that became known as the Arab Spring thereby bringing the art form to the attention of international audiences.[14] Certain calligraffiti artists have credited the Middle Eastern calligraphy artists as an important influence on their work. For instance, the Tunisian calligraffiti artist, el Seed points to the work of Iraqi painter, Hassan Massoudy as a major source of inspiration, noting that "The work of Hassan Massoudy was totally out of anything I’ve seen from the way he shapes the letters to the colors he uses. He completely revolutionized the art of calligraphy.”[15]

Characteristics

Calligraffiti is a complex process. Its specificity is in its paradoxical nature, as it is characterised by and composed of many elements that appear contradictory:

It requires an overall vision from the artist- from the message he is trying to convey, to the shape of the letters, to the larger picture he is creating. Calligraffiti artist, Tubs, explains that the art form's graffiti component forces the artist to reflect upon and consciously create a piece that will arouse a specific feeling or reaction in the viewer.[16] However, the use of the alphabet as an artistic medium[17] demands practice, accuracy, and foresight.

Tools

Part of what differentiates calligraffiti from calligraphy is its freedom from rules. Calligraphy is a meticulous and specific art that takes years to master. Most calligraffiti artists, like El Seed, do not consider themselves calligraphers because they do not know, nor do they follow the many rules of calligraphy.[18] Calligraffiti on the other hand is characterized by its diversity of mediums, methods, and instruments. Each individual artist uses and sometimes designs his or her own tools.

Arabic calligraphy as historical background

Arabic calligraphy is incredibly rich; it is an art form that has been perfected for well over a millennium. Islamic tradition greatly encouraged the development of calligraphy as an art form in order to bear witness of the written word and to spread Islam.[19] In the Quran, Arabic writing represents the word of God revealed to Mohammed, which gives Arabic letters a special meaning.[20]

The spread and evolution of calligraphy can be traced very specifically throughout Islamic history as it is inherently tied to the spread of Islam itself. Calligraphy was how scribes transcribed and created copies of the Quran—allowing Mohammad's message to extend beyond the Arabian Peninsula.[21] Calligraphy has always had a central role in Middle Eastern art, because of Islamic restrictions concerning the portrayal of human beings. As a result, calligraphy became not only a tool for the expansion of Islam, but its most characteristic form of religious art.[22]

Calligraffiti: calligraphy of the 21st century

Calligraffiti has emerged quite forcefully in the Middle East in recent years, particularly in the wake of the Arab uprisings. While graffiti has never been widespread in the region, it has spread with the rising dissidence against Middle Eastern dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. Calligraphy artist Hassan Massoudy called Arabic calligraphy and graffiti "two daughters of the same parents" because of their interrelationship. He notes that "Obviously [calligraphy and graffiti] both are about the use of letters and their alphabets, and their center of gravity is the beauty of writing. For both, a letter is more than just a letter and they fill them with emotions. The use of empty space and composition within this space is something else they have in common.[23] Calligraffiti is a logical evolution of the two art forms coexisting in the same space.

The first step towards calligraffiti was the emergence of the abstract movement in the Middle East during the 20th century. Calligraphy was impacted by the abstract movement in the 1960s and 1970s with the introduction of the Hurufiyya movement in the Arab world and the Saqqa Khaneh movement in Iran. Hassan Massoudy, Hossein Zenderoudi and Parviz Tanavoli were some of the pioneers of this new era of calligraphy. The next two decades saw an initial explosion of graffiti in the context of the First Intifada and the Lebanese Civil War.[22] Today, much calligraffiti is influenced by early Islamic script styles like Siyah mashq and Kufic. Artist and activist Janet Kozak, characterizes calligraffiti artists in the Middle East as being "not bound by the shackles of tradition, yet still indebted to it", as they use "a unique blend of traditional scripts and design mixed with modern materials and techniques".

Selected works of calligraffiti artists

Public displays in the Middle East

Publications

Beyond the aesthetic

Calligraffiti has been a way for artists in the Middle East to reclaim the region while still staying grounded in their culture and tradition. From the civil war in Beirut, to the Palestinian intifadas, to the Arab uprisings, calligraffiti has become a mechanism for social and political protest—where letters become symbols.[27] One of the most salient characteristics of the Arab Spring has been the reappropriation of the public sphere and calligraffiti does just that. Calligraffiti is an urban art as much as it is a gallery art, and as such it has served as a tool to reclaim public spaces and impose the will and opinion of the people. Once an infrequent sight, graffiti and calligraffiti now adorn the walls of most major cities in the Middle East, representing the rising political and social tensions in the region. Despite most artists' claims that they are neither political or social actors, their art has inevitable impact—as Saudi artist Rana Jarbou said "words are weapons".

Political uses

Many calligraffiti artists contest the idea that their art is political. Askar insists his calligraffiti pieces in Palestine do not make him a political activist, he says "I protest in colors, my activism consists of bringing art to the streets and allowing the public to express themselves"; similarly, El Seed has said "I don’t have any political agenda. I don’t believe in politics".[18] But by nature, calligraffiti is meant to express a message, and so it has unavoidable social and political consequences.

Protesting political affairs has been the subject of much of the graffiti in the region, and calligraffiti has not escaped this. Much of the anonymous calligraffiti that emerged from the Arab Spring is deeply embedded in a political struggle.[28] El Seed's 2011 mural in Kairouan Tunisia, a poem by Abu al-Qasim al-Husayafi about tyranny and injustice, cannot be separated from the political context it was created in. Similarly, Askar's piece entitled "Palestine" cannot be separated from the political weight the word "Palestine" holds; nor can his piece that says "salaam" (meaning peace), that is shaped like a key, escape the symbolism of the key in the Palestinian occupation. Anonymous calligraffiti on the Israeli wall in Bethlehem is inherently political because of its location.

The exhibit "Contemporary Arabic Graffiti and Lettering" explores how Calligraffiti creates a dialogue between the social and political sphere, by questioning dominant beliefs and ideologies. It does this by imposing itself on the religious and political debates by commandeering public spaces.[27] Khadiga El Ghawas is one calligraffiti artist that does not shy away from the political messages of her art. She says "My compositions touch upon issues that we currently face in Egypt whether that’s related to politics, religion or society". Her work very explicitly deals with the political realities of Egypt, whether it is political Islam, democracy, or women's issues.[29]

Social uses

Calligraffiti, as art, has the power to influence society and the people who are exposed to it. For example, it can be used to bring awareness to lost memories or forgotten moments in history. Inkman's USINA project decorates the forgotten limestone factory walls in Boukornine Tunisia to remind the world of those who struggled there and pay them respect.[30] El Seed's Lost Walls project attempts to redirect the world and Tunisia's attention to the beauty of the country. His purpose was to create hope in Tunisia; that the people of the country could rediscover something positive and be proud of their culture in the midst of political turmoil.[31] Lebanese artist Yazan Halwani says his art is means to "write the stories of the city, on its own walls—creating a memory for the city". The civil war created a deep fragmentation within the Lebanese society and a sense of amnesia that Halwani sought to fight against. His calligraffiti is meant to portray the city in a positive light, repair social ties and breathe life into a broken society.[32] GhalamDAR, an Iranian artist, tries to reconnect Iranians to their country and culture. He often questions contemporary identity, philosophy, and history in Iran, which can be seen in his piece on the Iranian diaspora that features a headless deer.[33] Calligraffiti has been a way for all of these artists to try and better the communities they live in.

Another way in which calligraffiti has impacted the social sphere is by engaging a discuss about contemporary issues and bringing people together.[34] El Seed's calligraffiti on the Gabes mosque is a quotation from the Qur'an meant to address intolerance, specifically in regards to religion, art, and the growing Islamist movement in the world. The quote reads "Oh humankind, we have created you from a male and a female and made people and tribes so you may know each other"; it attempts to break stereotypes and opens a discussion around the place of art in Islam.[35] After finishing his project "Perception" in Cairo, El Seed explained that he is "questioning the level of judgment and misconception society can unconsciously have upon a community based on their differences".[36] El Seed has referred to himself as an "artivist", or an artist and an activist at the same time.[37]

Calligraffiti: between Middle East and West

Many calligrafitti artists use Arabic script or are heavily inspired by it. There has been a rise in Arabic calligraffiti outside the Middle East and by non Middle Eastern artists. Arabic calligraffiti has become a cosmopolitan art form. This can partially be attributed to the richness of Arabic calligraphy compared to other scripts. The use of Arabic calligraphy has been a typographic decision by many artists who seek to reinvent the aesthetic.[22]

A search for identity

The widespread use of Arabic calligraphy outside the Middle East is often a result of political and social dynamics.[27] Colonization and immigration has led to an identity crisis in many people, one the artist El Seed often talks about. He says his style developed from his struggle to fit in; the feeling that while he was not French, he was not fully Tunisian either.[38] The legacy of colonization has created hybrid identities, especially in Europe, but has also allowed other cultures to be exposed to Middle Eastern cultures. As a result, artists like Julien Breton and L'atlas have adopted the Arabic script style. Artists like Aerosol Arabic or Haji Noor Deen turned to Arabic calligraffiti after they converted to Islam. Many artists use calligraffiti to reconnect with cultural and historical identities that they lost, or as a way to find a new identity.[27]

Artists

Calligraffiti is a relatively new term and graffiti is still taboo in parts of the Middle East and Asia, and as a result many calligraffiti artists are anonymous or rely on pseudonyms. Additionally, many calligraphers have created calligraffiti pieces, even though it is not their primary focus. In 2015, Niels Shoe Meulman created the Calligraffiti Ambassadors with the aim of expanding the movement and creating a community of calligraffiti artists. The group has already grown since its inception and includes artists from all over the world. They exhibited some of their work at the Affenfaust Gallery in Hamburg, Germany.[39]

Algeria

Australia

China

Colombia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Egypt

Ecuador

France

Germany

Greece

India

Iran

Iraq

One of the most famous calligraphers in the Middle East who revolutionised contemporary calligraphy. Many calligraffiti artists have credited their inspiration to him, such as El Seed.[18]

Israel

Italy

Japan

Lebanon

Malaysia

Mexico

Morocco

Norway

Pakistan

Palestine

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Spain

Sudan

Taiwan

The Netherlands

Tunisia

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

Uncategorised

Exhibitions

In addition to solo exhibitions of individual street artists such as Declarations by el-Seed,[93] a number of group exhibitions, showcasing the social and political importance of calligraffiti have been mounted by prestigious art museums and galleries have mounted exhibitions dedicated to street art and calligraffiti. These include:

Recurring exhibitions

See also

Bibliography

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Calligraphy, Meet Graffiti: Calligraffiti at Leila Heller Gallery - artcritical. 16 September 2013. Artcriticial.com. 8 May 2018. 28 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190828192050/https://artcritical.com/2013/09/16/calligraffiti-at-leila-heller/. dead.
  2. See for instance, Sinno, N., War of Colors: Beirut Street Art and the Reclamation of Public Space, ASAP/Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2017, pp. 71-104 as an example of an art historian who credits Meulman, with coining the term and locates it as a form of street art.
  3. Meulman, N. S., Calligraffiti: The Graphic Art of Niels Shoe Meulman, Urheberrechtlich geschutztes Material, 2012
  4. Hoptman, L.J. (ed.), Brion Gysin: Dream Machine, Merrell, 2010, p. 131; Ballantyne, E., Dvořák, M. and Irvine, D. (eds). Translocated Modernisms: Paris and Other Lost Generations, University of Ottawa Press, 2016 [e-book edition], n.p.
  5. Hix, H.L., Spirits Hovering over the Ashes: Legacies of Postmodern Theory, State University of New York Press 1995, p. 48
  6. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, pp 166-67 and also cited in Shabout, N.M., Modern Arab Art: Formation of Arab Aesthetics, University of Florida Press, 2007, p.80
  7. Shabout, N.M., Modern Arab Art: Formation of Arab Aesthetics, University of Florida Press, 2007, p.80
  8. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, pp 165-172
  9. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, p. 167
  10. Carrier, D., "Calligraphy, Meet Graffiti: Calligraffiti at Leila Heller Gallery," Artcritical, [Online art magazine], 16 December 2013 Online:
  11. Ali, W., "The Status of Islamic Art in the Twentieth Century," Muqarnas, vol. 9, 1992, pp 186-188 Online:
  12. Issa, R., Cestar. J. and Porter,V., Signs of Our Times: From Calligraphy to Calligraffiti,New York, Merrill, 2016; Mavrakis, N., "The Hurufiyah Art Movement in Middle Eastern Art," McGill Journal of Middle Eastern Studies Blog, Online: https://mjmes.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/article-5/;Tuohy, A. and Masters, C., A-Z Great Modern Artists, Hachette UK, 2015, p. 56
  13. Ali, W., Modern Islamic Art: Development and Continuity, University of Florida Press, 1997, pp 167-169; not all art historians classify Shakir Hassan Al-Said in the list of calligraffiti artists. Nadia Shabout, for example, argues that he does not fit the definition of a calligraffiti artist because he aimed for a total deconstruction of the letter. Shabout, N.M., Modern Arab Art: Formation of Arab Aesthetics, University of Florida Press, 2007, p.80
  14. Naguib, S.A., "Engaged Ephemeral Art: Street Art and the Egyptian Arab Spring," Transcultural Studies, Vol. 2, 2016, pp 53-86
  15. Saldaña, S., "Reviving Arabic Calligraphy: An Encounter with Iraqi-French artist Hassan Massoudy," Mosaic Stories, 10 March 2017, Online:
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  19. Web site: Arabic Calligraphy – eL Seed's Writing Is On the Wall. Greenprophet.com. 6 February 2012. 8 May 2018.
  20. Bloom J. and Blair, S., The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, Oxford University Press, 2009, Vol. 2, p. 336
  21. Web site: Arabic Calligraphy History - Tools, Techniques, Ahar Paper. Zakariya.net. 8 May 2018.
  22. Web site: Word As Image: Contextualizing "Calligraffiti: 1984-2013" with French-Tunisian Street Artist eL Seed - Ajam Media Collective. 17 September 2013. Ajammc.com. 8 May 2018.
  23. Massoudy, H., "Two Daughters of the Same Parents," in: Don Stone Karl and Pascal Zoghbi, Arabic Calligraphy, From Here to Fame Publishing, 2011, pp 31-35
  24. Web site: Tunisian Artist eL Seed Paints Manshiyat Naser With Stunning Graffiti. 14 March 2016. Scoopempire.com. 8 May 2018.
  25. Web site: Saudi artists blend calligraphy with graffiti - CCTV News - CCTV.com English. Zhang. Jingya. English.cntv.cn. 8 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013336/http://english.cntv.cn/2014/05/28/VIDE1401283806012517.shtml. 9 May 2018. dead.
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  29. Web site: The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast. 8 May 2018.
  30. Web site: "USINA" Story of brave men - I Support Street Art. 22 January 2015. Isupportstreetart.com. 8 May 2018.
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  32. News: How a Beirut graffiti artist is using his murals to try to unite a fragmented city. Ellie Violet. Bramley. 22 September 2015. The Guardian. 8 May 2018.
  33. Web site: GhalamDAR: Persian calligraffiti sensation. Aquila-style.com. 8 May 2018.
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  35. News: Arab graffiti: vandalism or art? - Mohamed El Hebeishy. Mohamed El. Hebeishy. 9 September 2012. The Guardian. 8 May 2018.
  36. Web site: "Calligraffiti" master astonishes with remake of marginalized Cairo neighborhood. Yourmiddleeast.com. 8 May 2018. 2016-03-18.
  37. Web site: Where art blends with activism. 5 April 2012. News.harvard.edu=. 8 May 2018.
  38. Web site: Artist Explains 'Calligraffiti'. 27 September 2013. Thehoya.com. 8 May 2018.
  39. Web site: Calligraffiti Ambassadors. Calligraffitiambassadors.com. 8 May 2018.
  40. Web site: Teck24: El arte de pintar con las letras. 15 December 2021. Bacanika.com. 1 January 2023.
  41. Web site: Los embajadores latinos del calligraffiti. 20 October 2017. Cartel Urbano. 1 January 2023.
  42. Web site: Caligraffitti: 1984-2020 - #3 Barcelona Calligrafreaks Project Exhibitions . calligrafreaksproject.com.,Web site: Isolation Interview with Anatolios Spyrlidis 'Royal Venom' . cyprusinstyle.com. 29 April 2020 . 2020-04-29.,Web site: 2019 - Meeting of Styles Kosovo 'RoyalVenom' . facebook.com.
  43. Web site: Khadiga El-Ghawas CALLIGRAFFITI. fadn303.net. 2016-04-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20161223064813/http://fadn303.net/vuongk/wordpress/2015/11/22/khadiga-el-ghawas/. 2016-12-23. dead.
  44. Issa, R., Signs of Our Times: From Calligraphy to Calligraffiti, London, Merrell Publishers, 2016,
  45. http://www.7aggat.com Ta7
  46. Web site: La rue, notre atelier – CREATION ARTISTIQUE / ATELIER / COLLABORATION. fr-FR. 2019-06-26.
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  48. Zoghbi, P. and Karl, D. S., Arabic Graffiti, From Here to Fame Publishing, 3rd ed., 2013, pp 125-132
  49. Web site: Team Calligraffiti Ambassadors. Calligraffitiambassadors.com. 2016-04-08.
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  51. Zoghbi, P. and Karl, D. S., Arabic Graffiti, From Here to Fame Publishing, 3rd ed., 2013, pp 157-160
  52. Zoghbi, P. and Karl, D. S., Arabic Graffiti, From Here to Fame Publishing, 3rd ed., 2013, pp 161-168
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  91. Zoghbi, P. and Karl, D. S., Arabic Graffiti, From Here to Fame Publishing, 3rd ed., 2013, pp 139-142
  92. Zoghbi, P. and Karl, D. S., Arabic Graffiti, From Here to Fame Publishing, 3rd ed., 2013, pp 149-152
  93. The Declarations exhibition in Dubai in 2014, and was sponsored by the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, See: Seaman, A., "eL Seed’s Dubai exhibition Declaration gives calligraffiti a whole new dimension," The National, 17 November 2014, Online: https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/el-seed-s-dubai-exhibition-declaration-gives-calligraffiti-a-whole-new-dimension-1.317327
  94. Web site: Jeffrey Deitch to Open "Calligraffiti: 1984-2013" Exhibition at Leila Heller Gallery. Complex. 8 May 2018.
  95. Web site: Tunisian eL Seed's mural affair. Middleeasteye.net. 8 May 2018.
  96. Web site: Taking calligraphy to another dimension, Selections Magazine Issue #29 - Updates from eL Seed. Tashkeel. 8 May 2018.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Calligraffiti".

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