Class Description
Arabic Calligraphy is a fine art with roots stretching back over 1,400 years. However, it is not widely seen as such an art form. We dive into the history of Arabic calligraphy, building our historical knowledge as we build our ability to understand the composition of Arabic calligraphy. We will look at how the rise of Islam jumpstarted the development of the Arabic script and the production of manuscripts, trace the globalization of calligraphy and then, think about how artists today engage with the art form and the art market.
This class will be highly interactive and will rely on close-looking exercises to build appreciation. We will spend frequent time with manuscripts, calligraphy albums, as well as other mediums featuring calligraphy like glass, metal, ceramic, and more.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
Nadirah Mansour is assistant curator of Islamic art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she cares for a 5,000+ object collection spanning the entire globe. Her research focuses on book history and she is working on building the MFA’s collection of Arabic-script calligraphy by living artists.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 24
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation-based
Materials List
Required
- Digital Course Packet
Recommended
- Maryam Ekhtiar, How to Read Islamic Calligraphy. Yale University Press, 2018. ISBN: 1588396304
First Reading
- Please read Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, pgs 1-41, in the Digital Course Packet.
A Brief Syllabus
- Why Arabic Calligraphy is a Fine Art
- Writing Kufic on Parchment and Stone: Why the First Arabic Scripts are Chunky
- Paper Revolution: How the Arabic Script Got its Curves
- Thinking about Scripts Globally
- The Arabic Scripts Meet Print: Lithography and Type
- Arabic Calligraphy Today: From Script Revival to Calligraphic Abstraction
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $245 ($220.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($225), and Sponsor ($265). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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