Artbooth Gallery has collaborated with the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi to organise Khatt, a solo exhibition by acclaimed Syrian artist Akil Ahmad. Displaying his eye-catching works, it allows visitors to explore the rich Arabic heritage and culture through these modern calligraphic compositions that preserve the original soul of the art form while bringing creativity and novelty into it. The show is taking place in the ground lobby of Fairmont Bab Al Bahr and will remain open until 15 April 2024.
Taking cues from Arabic poetry, calligraphy, and Maqams (maqam is a type of traditional Arabic music), Ahmad turns audio patterns into visual ones, simplifying Arabic letters into abstract forms. Through shape, colour, and overall art production, the artist conveys specific states such as love, adversity, and struggle.
The show celebrates calligraphy as fine art with futuristic possibilities and highlights calligraphy’s importance as both an expressive and aesthetic tool. Ahmad’s modern calligraphy breathes new life into this ancient art form, offering his audience a unique perspective on life, proportion, space, depth, and light.
About the artist
Born in Syria in 1988, Akil Ahmad lives and works in the Emirates. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Art (University of Aleppo, Syria) in 2011. His passion for Arabic calligraphy began at a young age, and he has created a unique approach to this art form that carries intellectual and philosophical studies to the Arabic letter and Islamic culture.
Ahmad builds his art pieces on the Arabic Maqams. He converts them from their audio pattern to an optical form. He says that in his work he tries to capture “the moments of ecstasy in music” and turns it into a letter or a word, thus “turning the musical instruments into a dance of letters on the surface of the paper.”
The artist has showcased his creations in several exhibitions, including international ones. The list of his solo shows features those held at Dar Al Funoon Gallery (Kuwait, 2021 and 2018); Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture (Beirut, Lebanon, 2017); Souk Aldahab Gallery (Downtown, Lebanon, 2016); and City Theatre, Nuha al-Radi Hall (Beirut, 2015). Among the international exhibitions are the Biennale of Egypt (2022); the International Biennale of Egypt (Art Cairo, 2023); and the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial (2016 and 2014).
Ahmad’s achievements include winning the Al Burda Award in 2018 and 2016 which honours practitioners in three traditional Islamic arts: calligraphy, ornamentation, and poetry. His works have been added to a number of private collections across the world: in such countries as Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the USA, Austria, Germany, Britain, and Ireland. One of his art pieces can also be found in the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur).
To get more information about Khatt, please go to the official website of Artbooth Gallery.
You might also be interested in exploring the Letters of Faith: The Arabic Script in Indonesia exhibition.
