Mohammed Al-Amri

Mohammed Al-Amri was born in 1972, in Oman and is currently a lecturer in the Art Education Department at Sultan Qaboos University. Since 1993, he has exhibited widely in Oman and in Europe.

“Arabic Calligraphy
is a primary form of art for Islamic visual expression and creativity....
Arabic Calligraphy is a symbol representing unity, beauty and power.
Arabic Calligraphy is not merely an art form but involves divine and moral representations, from which it acquires its sublime reputation.”
Khalid Mubireek

‘We look at Arabic calligraphy from two dimensions, but when it is three dimensional, you can walk round it, and seeing it from the other side, you can see new things. You don’t have to be able to read Arabic calligraphy to read this work. Sometimes knowing the meaning of the word can narrow the reading of the work. It’s good for everyone to see things in the shapes for themselves.You can look behind the letter, through the letter. The three dimensional form of the language becomes like a presence. The lines of the language fill the space. Our language. It exists in the world. The work is constantly affected by light. Like language. It is never still.

We live in three-dimensions, everything around us is three-dimensional. In western cultures you are used to seeing sculptures, for Islamic art, this is new. The shapes cast shadows. The concept of Arabic calligraphy is that it is traditional, that it is still, will always be. But like all language, it is constantly developing, always communicating. Nothing is ever finished.
Arabic Calligraphy is still the same, still alive, still remains, continues to be and its still form is the cultural identity of Islamic Art.’