The Sharjah Calligraphy Museum opened a solo exhibition by Emirati artist and calligrapher Mohammed Mandi. The show titled Luminous Letters presents more than 60 artworks by Mandi, including a work wherein the artist inscribed the word “Sharjah” in 42 different forms.
Mandi has been exhibiting his calligraphy designs and paintings at commercial and cultural spaces since the late 1990s. His work has also been featured in architecture, as part of the interior design of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, and marble murals at Umm Al Emarat Park as well as mosque minarets in Germany and Austria.
Skilled in various styles of calligraphy, including Thuluth, Naskh, Diwani and Jeli Diwani, Mandi ventured into the visual art form in 1975, following in the footsteps of his father who was also an artist.
The show in Sharjah traces Mandi’s decades-long career, from his studies at the Arabic Calligraphy Improvement School in Cairo to his training under renowned Turkish calligrapher Hassan Chalabi in the 1970s.
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His latest exhibition was inaugurated by Sheikh Salem bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office, and Manal Ataya, director-general of Sharjah Museums Authority, which runs Sharjah Calligraphy Museum.
Among Mandi’s key works are paintings with famous sayings by Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, and Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. His works bearing pious phrases and prayers have also been collected by the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah.
Mandi’s calligraphy can be seen on logos of various UAE government ministries. His script features in the passports of the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Yemen, as well as on banknotes of the UAE, Bahrain and Syria.
Throughout his career, Mandi has also shared his knowledge of calligraphy through workshops at cultural events, including the London Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair, and Amman Book Fair.
The exhibition will be on display till December 4, 2021, at the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum.