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Past Exhibits and Gallery Events Wednesday| 26 November | 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery presents "Mountain Against the Sea: Essays on Palestinian Society and Culture"
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm The Jerusalem Fund This groundbreaking book on modern Palestinian culture goes beyond the usual focal point of the 1948 war to address the earlier, formative years. Drawing on previously unavailable biographies of Palestinians (including Palestinian Jews), Salim Tamari offers eleven vignettes of Palestine's cultural life in the momentous first half of the twentieth century. He brings to light the memoirs, diaries, letters, and other writings of six Jerusalem intellectuals whose lives spanned (and defined) the period of 1918-1948: a musician, a teacher, a former aristocrat, a doctor, a Bolshevik revolutionary, and a Jewish novelist. These essays present an integrated cultural history that illuminates a watershed in the modern social history of the Arab East, the formulation of the Arab Enlightenment. Published by University of California Press, 2008. Salim Tamari is the Director of the Institute of Jerusalem Studies and Professor of Sociology at Birzeit University. He has also served as: Visiting Professor, University of California at Berkeley (2005, 2007, 2008); Agha Khan Fellowship, MIT, 2009; Eric Lane Fellow, Cambridge University, 2008; New York University 2001-2003; Cornell 1997; University of Paris at Jussieu (1993) U of Chicago 1991-92, University of Michigan 1987; Durham University (UK) 1984; PhD. Manchester University 1983; and Editor of Hawliyyat al Quds, and Jerusalem Quarterly. Recent publications include: Jerusalem 1948 (2001); AlQuds Al Uthmaniyya (Ottoman Jerusalem) (2002) Mandate Jerusalem in the Memoirs of Wasif Jawahariyyeh (with Issam Nassar, 2005) al Jabal didd al Bahar, Muwatin, 2005); Pilgrims, Lepers, and Stuffed Cabbage: Essays on the Cultural History of Ottoman and Mandate Jerusalem (editor) (IJS, 2005). Biography and Social History of Bilad al Sham (edited, with I. Nassar, 2007, Beirut IPS); The Mountain Against the Sea (University of California Press, 2008);3al Jarad: The Intimate Life of an Ottoman Soldier (IPS, Beirut, 2008); Year of the Locust: Palestine and Syria during WWI (forthcoming UC Press, 2009); Current Research: Syrian and Ottoman Prison Experience in Siberia during WWI. "Harmony" An exhibition of paintings by Samar Ghattas  "Simply Children" Direct from Palestine, Bethlehem artist Samar Ghattas’ paintings reflect on the nature of human relationships and the complex meanings of love. The opus of Samar Ghattas offers special access to everyday life in Palestine as it reflects the perceptions and sensations of a young Palestinian woman negotiating the daily struggles of life in contemporary Palestine. Samar Ghattas lives and works in Bethlehem, where she teaches fine art at Bethlehem University. Her paintings combine dreams of escape with the horrors of war. Trained at The Academy of Fine Arts in Kiev, Ghattas has exhibited in Palestine, England, Austria, Germany, Italy, and the US. Thursday| 30 October | 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. The Jerusalem Fund Gallery and The Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice, Georgetown University present Fady Joudah reading from his new collection of poetry The Earth in the Attic and from his translation of Mahmoud Darwish’s recent poetry The Butterfly’s Burden  Thursday, 30 October 2008 6:30-8:00 p.m. The Jerusalem Fund Fady Joudah was the 2007 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award for The Earth in the Attic. In his poems Joudah explores big themes—identity, war, religion, what we hold in common—while never losing sight of the quotidian, the specific. Contest judge Louise Glück describes the poet in her Foreword as “that strange animal, the lyric poet in whom circumstance and profession…have compelled obsession with large social contexts and grave national dilemmas.” She finds in his poetry an incantatory quality and concludes, “These are small poems, many of them, but the grandeur of conception is inescapable. The Earth in the Attic is varied, coherent, fierce, tender; impossible to put down, impossible to forget.”
Saturday|13 September | 8:00 p.m.|Georgetown University The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development and The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University proudly present Selections from the ReOrient Festival: Each year the ReOrient Festival brings innovative and thought-provoking theatre from and about the Middle East to San Francisco. Now, for the first time, selections from the Festival will be presented to a D.C. audience. The featured selections are:
For more information, visit http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/reorientfestival.html. A complimentary exhibit drawn from the same collection, Silver Speaks, closed March 2008 after successful showings at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, the Gibson Gallery at the State University of New York at Potsdam, the Jefferson County Historical Society in Watertown, New York and the Bead Museum in Washington, DC. Also, the Mingei International Museum in San Diego displayed seventy-seven pieces from this collection from April 2006 to September 2007. The Jerusalem Fund invites you to a lecture and book signing "A Silver Legend: The Story of the Maria Theresa Thaler" with Clara Semple  Thursday, 4 September 2008 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. The Jerusalem Fund This first comprehensive account of the Maria Theresa thaler in English covers every aspect of the thaler's use, and explains how this coin came to be accepted as the universal currency for trade in the Middle East and beyond. The role of the coin in silver jewelry making is also thoroughly examined in this splendidly illustrated account. Published by Barzan Publishing, June 2007. Wednesdays|25 June - 13 August| 6:30 p.m.|The Jerusalem Fund The Jerusalem Fund and the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University are pleased to present Voices of Palestine: Summer 2008 Film Series
This annual summer film series highlights recent documentary and feature films from and about Palestine that explore the social, cultural and political complexities of Palestinian life and identity. For a complete listing of the films and their descriptions, please go to http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/filmseries.php. "Wall Stories” New works by Mary Tuma 28 March - 9 May 2008   “Wall Stories addresses the concept of borders, barriers and access within a given space. Ironic and humiliating, right of entry exists only as the gift of the oppressor. How does one learn to adjust to the surreality of a massive gray monster that snakes up on every horizon?” Born in California in 1961, Mary Tuma began sewing and crocheting with her mother at an early age. Her love of these processes led her to begin her formal study of art as an apprentice at Beautiful Arts Hall in Kerdassa, Egypt. Later, she earned a BA in Costume and Textile Design from UCDavis and an MFA from the University of Arizona, as well as studying at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Mary’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Palestine and has been published in numerous journals, magazines and newspapers. She currently serves as an Associate Professor and the head of the Fibers Program at the University of North Carolina. Friday| 25 April 2008 | 7:30 p.m. |The Jerusalem Fund The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development presents "Songs from the Gulf" with Souhail Kaspar and Rachid Halihal
Grammy nominee Souhail Kaspar (www.neareastmusic.com) and internationally acclaimed musician Rachid Halihal (www.rachidhalihalmusic.com) team up to present a performance of popular songs from the Gulf. Kaspar is a master percussionist trained at the Conservatory of Traditional Arabic Music in Aleppo and Halihal is a multi-talented oud/violin player and vocalist trained at the Conservatory of Music in Fez. Kaspar has performed with Sabah, Fairuz, Cheb Mami and Kathem al-Saher, among others. In 2002 he partnered with Naser Musa to record Khaliji, a collection of popular songs from the Gulf which garnered critical acclaim. Halihal has performed with the Andalus Orchestra of Fez as well as with the beloved Gulf singers Mohamed Abdu, Abdel Mageed Abdallah, and Rachid el Maajid. "Cut Down by the Sky" Paintings by Zahi Khamis 25 January - 14 March 2008  “Having lost home and exhausted exile, I stand in front of my canvasses—my final trench—and resist Despair. Shaped by an old and stubborn habit of mine—Hope—I, with a paint brush in my hand, decide, yes it is still possible to create. These images on the walls are the results of my attempt, at the darkest hour, to say yes to life, yes to art, and yes to beauty.” Born in the Palestinian village of Reineh outside of Nazareth in 1959, Zahi Khamis emigrated to Europe and then to the United States in his early twenties. After earning his degree in Mathematics, and studying literature extensively, Zahi eventually turned towards painting as his primary form of expression. Appearing in numerous solo shows, group exhibits, books, and other publications, Zahi’s work is part of a long tradition of committed art, expressing the painful, yet luminous, contradictions of all those who struggle for liberation. Saturday| 1 March 2008 | 7:30 p.m. |Gaston Hall, Georgetown University   The Arabesque Music Ensemble revives the golden age of Egyptian music through the production of The Music of the Three Musketeers, (al-Fursan at-Talatha). The collection features the compositions of Zakariyya Ahmad, Muhammad al-Qasabji and Riyad al-Sunbati, who together wrote a large majority of pieces performed by the Arab world’s legendary singer, Umm Kulthum of Egypt. Performing in Washington, DC as part of their national tour to promote the new release, the eight-piece ensemble has garnered critical acclaim, with praise for its "precise rhythms and perfect intonation" (Washington Post) as well as its "rich textures and musical versatility" (Los Angeles Times). The ensemble’s 2006 release, The Songs of Sheikh Sayyed Darweesh: Soul of a People, was named one of the top-ten world music recordings by The Boston Globe.
"Bethlehem Under Seige: The Decline of Christianity at its Birthplace" 30 November 2007 - 11 January 2008 Photographs by Kike Arnal  In recent decades, the Christian community of Bethlehem has decreased dramatically from around eighty percent of the total population, to less than ten percent today. Since the construction of the Separation Wall, which divides Bethlehem from Jerusalem, and the twenty or so surrounding Israeli settlements, the situation of Bethlehem's Christians has deteriorated such that many of the few remaining Christians, especially the young and educated, consider leaving their country as the only choice for their future. The images presented here tell the stories of individual Christians of Bethlehem and their failing efforts to continue to live in the land of their faith. KIKE ARNAL is a still photographer and videographer. Originally from Venezuela, Kike has covered stories in the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. His photographs have been featured in The New York Times, Life, and Mother Jones, among other leading publications. He has directed and produced video documentaries, including Yanomami Malaria, a film for Discovery Channel about a malaria epidemic among scattered populations of indigenous people in a remote area of the northern Amazon. More recently, Kike has been documenting the impact of cluster bombs on the civilian population of south Lebanon. 2007 The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development and The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University proudly presented "Marcel Khalifé and the Mayadine Ensemble" with the support of the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC)
In his association with great contemporary Arab poets, particularly Palestinian poet par excellence Mahmoud Darwish, Khalifé seeks to renew the character of the Arabic song, to break its stereotypes and to advance the culture of the society that surrounds it. On his journey, Marcel Khalifé invents and creates original music, a novel world of sounds, freed of all established rules. This language elevates him to the level of an ambassador of his own culture and to the vanguard of Near Eastern music innovators.
18 May - 31 August 2007  This exhibit is being held in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Naji al-Ali’s assassination. The cartoons have been generously provided by his son, Khalid al-Ali. The late Palestinian cartoonist, Naji al-Ali, produced over 40,000 cartoons satirizing the powers that be in the Middle East. Emerging from humble beginnings in the refugee camps, for over 30 years he was an uncompromising critic of a regressive Arab political culture and of Western intervention in Arab affairs. As one of the most popular artists in the Arab world, he was loved for his defense of ordinary people and for his criticism of despotism and repression. His unrelenting cartoons exposed the brutality of the Israeli army and earned him many powerful enemies. He developed a stark, symbolic style in his work and is perhaps best known as creator of the character Handala, who has since become an icon of Palestinian struggle and steadfastness. Al-Ali was killed on July 22, 1987 by an unknown assassin as he left the London offices of Al Qabbas newspaper. Dr. Fayeq Oweis is an Arab American artist and professor of Arabic Language and Culture at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. He has a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on Arabic and Islamic arts and has published extensively and gave numerous presentations on Arabic Language and Culture, Islamic Arts and Arabic Calligraphy, and Arab American Artists. His presentation, delivered in conjunction with the exhibit, will explore the relevance, characters and symbols of Naji al-Ali’s work. Iraqi Portraits 19 January - 2 March, 2007 Athir Shayota
Athir Shayota’s paintings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums, universities and galleries throughout the United States. Shayota was born in 1968 in northern Iraq. He received his Masters of Fine Arts from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri in 1992 and now resides in New York City. This exhibit opening is free and open to the public. Registration is not required to attend. 2006 Jerusalem: Between Visions and Realities National Juried Exhibition 10 November - 22 December 2006 Opening reception: Friday, 10 November, 6:30 - 8:30pm. Rajie Cook | Marianne Smith Dalton | Roger Gaess | Niv Hachlili Maurice Jacobsen | Michael Keating | Zahi Khamis | Suzanne Klotz Amelie Porter | Rik Sargent | Layla el-Shair | Sima Zureikat   The city of Jerusalem has occupied a central role in the world’s religious and political history and has drawn people from all over the world to its sacred sites. With a turbulent past and present, it lies at the heart of the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This juried exhibit features works by twelve artists in a variety of media that speak to Jerusalem’s complex historical, religious and emotional significance and that consider the need for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict, recognizing the rights of Palestinians in the city. This exhibit opening is free and open to the public. Registration is not required to attend. Saturday| 9 December 2006 | 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Annual Souk and Olive Harvest Celebration  Free and open to the public Experience the ambience of a Middle Eastern souk (market) right here in Washington, DC! Enjoy an afternoon of live music, coffee, sweets, henna painting, and the sales of textiles, pottery, jewelry and gifts from North Africa and the Middle East. Celebrate the annual olive harvest in Palestine and support Palestinian farmers by purchasing bottles of olive oil imported from Palestine. Bring your family and friends to this fun and vibrant event. Karim Kadiri and Najeeb of M'Oud Swing will be performing some of their band's original pieces composed by Karim. Karim blends traditional Arabic, Egyptian, Moroccan and Berber modes with jazz. Najeeb is a world class drummer who has performed all over the globe with giants such as Sun Ra, Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton and others. He will be performing on his new instrument, the dumbek. M'Oud Swing Website: www.moudswing.com Every Curve, Every Dot:  Tarab ~ The Colors of MusicKhalil Bendib - Nabila Hilmi - Fayeq Oweis - Helen Zughaib - Afaf Zurayk Tarab is one of the most important terms in the musical aesthetics of Arab culture. While difficult to translate precisely, tarab refers to a state of heightened emotionality in response to music, often translated as rapture, ecstasy or enchantment, as well as joy or sadness. Using line, color, motion and space, the five artists in this exhibit explore the intersections of music and emotion with the visual image. From the whimsical, color-saturated patterns of Zughaib’s precise compositions, to Oweis’s calligraphic variations on a theme, to Bendib’s nostalgic ceramic tile paintings of Moroccan and Algerian scenes, to the blocks of color and fluid lines of Zurayk’s reflective works, to the assertive and rhythmic lines of Hilmi’s drawings, the pieces in this show capture the transcendence of music and the mystery of its effects on the human soul. Wednesday, 14 June 2006  Betty ShamiehPalestinian playwright, author, screenwriter and actor Shamieh, the first Palestinian-American playwright to have a play premiere off-Broadway, will be presenting excerpts of her critically acclaimed play Chocolate in Heat and her forthcoming novel. Her play Roar had its off-Broadway premiere at The New Group under the direction of Tony-nominated Marion McClinton and starred Annabella Sciorra and Sarita Choudhury. Roar was selected as a New York Times Critic’s Pick for its entire extended run. Her play The Black Eyed premiered at the Magic Theatre in 2005. Trinity Repertory Theatre commissioned and optioned her play Territories. Shamieh performed in her play of monologues Chocolate in Heat - Growing Up Arab in America, which had three sold out and critically acclaimed off-off-Broadway runs and subsequently toured over twenty venues across the United States. She has been awarded an NEA grant, Sundance Theatre residency, New Dramatists Van Lier Fellowship, a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Study & Conference Center, an Arts International grant, a Yaddo residency, and a New York Foundation for the Arts playwriting award. She was selected as a 2004-2005 Harvard University Clifton Visiting Artist and is currently serving on the New York Foundation for the Arts playwriting advisory board. Her life and work have been profiled in American Theatre Magazine, Time Out, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, and The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard University and the Yale School of Drama, she was selected as a 2005-2006 Playwriting Fellow at Harvard/Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies. Shamieh is currently working on a Time Warner commission from Second Stage Theatre. Other 2006 Exhibits & Events "Improvisation" Film screening and conversation with the director, Raed Andoni. (1/9) "The Forgotten People: The Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon," a photography exhibit by Rania Matar (1/27-3/3) Mosaic Arts workshop with mosaic artist Valerie Theberge "Alam Al-Mithal: The World of the Image," a photography exhibit by Jan Kassay (3/17-4/25) 2005  Where We Come Fromphotographs and text by Palestinian artist Emily Jacir 15 April 2005 - 25 May 2005 Emily Jacir asked fellow Palestinians from around the world, “If I could do anything for you, anywhere in Palestine, what would it be?” Using her American passport to facilitate a freedom of movement unavailable to most Palestinians, Jacir documented her attempts to fulfill these requests. Her journey through loss, daily struggles, and sorrow tells the story of a people confined and prevented from attending to the most basic human needs. Jacir’s critically acclaimed project was described by New York Times critic Holland Cotter as “one of the most moving gallery exhibitions I’ve encountered this season.” Kim Levin of the Village Voice said, “Her efforts reverberate with the complexities of fear, longing and travel restrictions. Read every affecting word.”  New Beginningsnew works by Iraqi Artist Leila Kubba 18 February 2005 - 8 April 8 2005 The Jerusalem Fund Gallery and the Iraqi Cultural Society invite you to view the exhibit of new paintings by Iraqi artist, Leila Kubba, entitled "New Beginnings." Kubba was born and educated in Iraq. She studied at the Manchester College of Art and Architecture and the Corcoran College of Art + Design. She has exhibited widely in the United States and across the world. Her works are in public and private collections, including the Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, the National Gallery of Jordan and the British Museum. Her latest series, inspired by a recent visit to Iraq, reflects on the uncertainty that lies ahead and the women who bear the fragments of Iraq's past, present and future. Read press coverage of this Jerusalem Fund exhibit: Interview on NPR's All Things Considered and New York Times article (22 March 2005). For more about Leila Kubba, see:  13 November 2004 - 23 December 2004 "Trees of Hope: Celebrating the Olive Harvest" was a festive celebration of the role that the olive harvest plays in the traditional society and economy of Palestinians. At the exhibit's opening, Palestinian master carver Nimir Rishmawi demonstrated for the first time in the U.S. the artistry of olive wood carving as it is done in Bethlehem. Guests experienced the significance of the harvest through a documentary film and photo exhibit, and enjoyed free tastings of authentic Palestinian olive oil and olives. Traditional Middle Eastern desserts were served, and traditional Palestinian crafts, olive oil, olive soap, olive wood carvings, and various Middle Eastern cook books and music CDs were available for purchase throughout the evening. The event was co-sponsored with Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. To view the handout from the exhibit, click here (pdf). Do you want to set up an olive harvest exhibit at your school or community center? Check out our comprehensive Resource Guide (pdf) with all the tools and information you need for a successful event!  Effects of Greed, Dreams of Justice1 October 2004 - 10 November 10 The Gallery exhibited the paintings of Egyptian artist Mona El-Bayoumi from October 1 - November 10, 2004. The exhibit showcased 43 new pieces reflecting on the consequences of war in the Arab World. Using iconographic imagery, saturated colors, and whimsical subtlety, Bayoumi provided a provocative and unsettling commentary on the human side of the current conflicts, most notably the war in Iraq and the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. The opening reception brought a record attendance and included a lively performance from the Foty Family Ensemble. The artist's paintings are available for sale or print duplication. For questions about this exhibit, contact Cultural Coordinator Jessica Robertson Wright at (202) 338-1958. To view digital images of the artist's work, visit our online gallery!  Calligraphy: Objects and Writings, Traditional and Contemporary 21 May 21 2004 - 30 June 2004 Art expert Dagmar Painter curated an exhibition of traditional and contemporary objects and writings. To view the show, click here. Teaching Resource! The Jerusalem Fund Gallery has transformed the Calligraphy exhibit into a teaching resource, entitled, "Mightier than the Sword: Calligraphy of the Sixteenth Century Imperial Courts." Explore this exciting web-based curriculum unit designed to provide a creative and interactive approach to studying many of the major empires that dominated the world stage in the 15th and 16th centuries. Using Islamic calligraphy and culture as an entry point, students learn about seven empires: the Songhay, Saadian, Mughal, Safavid, Ottoman, Ming, Tokugawa Shogunate, and the Hapsburg, from historical, literary and artistic vantage points. The unit is designed for students of World History, Literature, Arts and Mathematics. It addresses national standards for 9th and 10th grade subject areas. To access this curriculum, click here.  Stories My Father Told Mean exhibition of new paintings by Helen Zughaib "Rising before dawn, they lined the edges of the ship, as they sailed into New York Harbor for the very first time…." From "Coming to America," a painting with narrative by Helen Zughaib View the collection here.  Of Exile and Return Paintings by Zahi Khamis On view at the Jerusalem Center Gallery through March, the paintings of Galilee born artist Zahi Khamis capture a deep sense of loss, anxiety and yearning for Palestine. His style has been described as follows: "Combining legend with memory, anger with beauty, and abstraction with poetry, Zahi's work offers a colorful map of the collective spirit of resistance." More information about the artist and his images can be found at www.zahiart.com. For a review of this show, click here. Celebrating Palestinian Heritage: Traditional Embroidery, Dress, and Jewelry Selections from the collection of Saleem Fahmawi The rich cultural heritage of Palestine is apparent in the traditional dress, jewelry, and embroidery of the Palestinian people. For more than 25 years, Mr. Saleem Fahmawi, chief of the Palestine and Decolonization Section of the United Nations, has worked to assemble a rare and beautiful collection of textiles and artifacts from Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Gaza, Jericho, and otherareas representing the diversity of his native land. The exhibit was on display until 30 August 2002. Take a virtual tour of the exhibit. This movie requires Macromedia Flash Player. Other 2004 Exhibits & Events Summer 2004 Film Series Shawkat Sayyad, oudist. Performance February 2004 Photography exhibit: Michael Keating. January 2004. 2002-2003 Many artists have exhibited or performed at The Gallery, and The Jerusalem Fund thanks them for their creativity and generosity of spirit. They include: 2003 Kathryn Leila Buck, playwright. Performance of Isite, January 2003. Wasma Chorbachy, art historian. Lecture, May 2003. Roger Cook, sculptor. Sculptural assemblage, November 2003. Ibdaa, folkore troupe from Palestine. Performance, July 2003. Ghada Al-Medkisi, musician. Iraqi cultural evening, May 2003. Dunya Mikhail, poet. Iraqi cultural evening, May 2003. Michel Moushabeck, editor and publisher of Interlink Books. Lecture, March 2003. 2002 Nadja Groux, photojournalist. Photography exhibit, October 2002. Dagmar Painter, curator. Lecture on hand iconography, September 2002. Daniel Quinn, volunteer. Slide show, October 2002. Other names have included the renowned White House correspondent Helen Thomas, the Arab American artist Leila Kubba, and the Israeli-Moroccan film maker Simone Bittone. |
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Blessed among the crafts, Arabic calligraphy possesses an emotive appeal and a visual impact that captivates and invites the viewer to meditation. It is generally rooted in the sacred and is a celebration of the divine. Dr. Dukhan's fascination with the Arabic language, written and spoken, started when he was in grade school. He has been training himself in all the classical styles of Arabic calligraphy by imitating the works of many master calligraphers. In 1998, he became a student of the noted Istanbul master calligrapher Hasan Celibi in Thuluth and Naskh style and recently, of master calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya in T’aliq style. Although inspired by, and occasionally resembling some of the classical styles of Arabic calligraphy, the modern look of his designs is achieved through innovation guided by artistic sensibility and a certain quality of pursuing the form. His designs are highly stylized, but remain legible, and offer a fresh rendering of the Arabic letters.