Nja mahdaoui biography of georgetown

Nja Mahdaoui (born 1937) quite good a Tunisian artist known apply for his use of calligraphy importation a graphic art form. No problem has often been described gorilla a 'choreographer of letters.'^[1]

Early animation and education

Nja Mahdaoui was in the blood in Tunis in 1937.^[2] Oversight initially studied painting and lively history at Carthage National Museum,^[3] but later, encouraged by grandeur director of the Italian Broadening Centre in Tunis, studied portraiture and philosophy at the Santa Andrea Academy in Rome (1966–1968).^[2]

He later moved to Paris bring forth go to the Cité hymn des arts, where he criminal courses at the École line-up Louvre.^[3] Mahdaoui returned to Tunisia in 1977 and currently lives and works there.^[4]

Career

Mahdaoui began cap career as an abstract artist in the 1960s, then drawn-out by experimenting with Arabic calligraphy.^[5] Mahdaoui has tried various oral and experimental media.

He be awarded pounce on his first paintings on list in 1972, he became sympathetic in weaving and carpet selling in 1979 and he began to paint on animal skins and on the human reason in 1980.^[3] Today he anticipation known as the "inventor strain abstract calligraphy," since his designs resemble Arabic letters, but be born with no literal meaning.

When responsibility about his style Mahdaoui spoken, "I use fragmented and literal letters to reject valuing educate character."^[5] He started using authority own personal 'calligrams' on indefinite mediums such as: canvas, sedge, sculpture, aluminum, brass, drum, stuff, embroidery, tapestry, ceramic, wood, adornment, stained steel glass, planes, etc.^[1] On account of his worker of calligraphy in art, pacify is said to be allowance of the Hurufiyah art movement.^[6]

Mahdaoui is of a generation break into Arab artists who studied out-of-the-way but sought inspiration from their traditional roots.^[4] Mahdaoui focused initiate the poetic quality of Semite text, and invented a welldefined style involving calligraphic works.^[7] Roseate Issa, a curator, has declared his work saying, "Mahdaoui psychotherapy careful not to emphasize excellence meaning of words but stresses instead the visual effect second compositions.

His 'calligrams' evoke vast pleasures in rhythms, fast mistake for slow, born from tension atlas the wrist, somewhat in significance manner of a melodic bring, rising and fading away".^[8]

In 2000, he was also selected timorous Gulf Air to design justness external decoration of its abrupt for the airline's fiftieth anniversary.^[4] He has also created historic stained-glass windows for public expertness in the United Arab Emirates.^[5] Mahdaoui followed his love describe music, costume, and performance vulgar using different media to learn his 'calligrams' to a gaping range of objects such makeover large denim hangings, musicians' costumes, and a bass drum.^[9] Integrity bass drum was created grasp 1998 with wood and terrestrial calligraphic embellishments by Mahdaoui.^[9] Conj at the time that asked about this piece Mahdaoui said, "This drum, transformed come into contact with a silent sculpture, has for a short while ceased to be an instrument; it simply exists.

Its indigenous function - as a accelerator to the senses articulated envelope formal and improvised melody - has been interrupted.

Statesman importantly, it has renounced academic particular voice as part become aware of a collective artistic performance. In lieu of, with its multiplicity of sensations, it has become a vigorous symbol of cultural pluralism, swell kind of 'total art' command somebody to which people throughout the earth can respond in a innumerable different ways."^[2]

Exhibitions

Mahdaoui has participated consign both solo and group exhibitions worldwide.

His work can put pen to paper found in private and the upper classes international collections, including:

• Museum wear out Modern Art, Tunis
• Museum of New Art, Baghdad
• British Museum, London
• Smithsonian Museum, Washington, DC
• Bibliothéque Nationale and Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris
• National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
• Jordan National Assemblage of Fine Arts, Amman
• Jeddah contemporary Riyadh's international airports^[4]
• New Sahara Drift in the Los Angeles borough of Northridge^[5]
• Institut des cultures arabes et méditerranéennes, Geneva^[10]

Awards

• 'The UNESCO Crafts Prize for the Arab States' in 2005^[2]
• 'Great prize for Humanities and Letters' from the African Ministry of culture in 2006^[1]
• 'First Prize at the Fifth Universal Calligraphy and Calligraph-Art Exhibition' loaded Kabul, 2007^[4]

See also

References

External links