Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, opened the 12th Sharjah Calligraphy Biennale on Wednesday evening, where Iraqi calligrapher Farhad Yassin received the Grand Award for his piece Surah Ar-Rahman. Organised by the emirate’s Department of Culture, the biennale is held at Calligraphy Square in the Heart of Sharjah district and runs until November 15.
This edition brings together 681 artworks by 272 artists and calligraphers from around the world, supported by a programme of 90 events that includes exhibitions, workshops, lectures and seminars. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, the biennale’s director, said the event was established 20 years ago on the Ruler’s direction. Its stated aims are to raise the profile of Arabic calligraphy and to strengthen its connections with other art forms.
Awards were spread across several categories. In the Authentic Style section, prizes went to Abdulbaqi Abu Bakr of Malaysia for Ahd Al-Muslih, Ahmed Jalaluddin of Indonesia for Khutbat al-Wada’, and Mahfouz Dhannoun of Iraq for Ayat al-Kursi and Qasidat al-Burda. The Modern and Contemporary Calligraphy Art Award recognised Shaimaa Hito of Germany for Fann, Namia Nizar of India for Tasurru al-Nazireen and Hussain Abdulmohsen of Saudi Arabia for Al-Harf al-Arabi wa al-Sadu. Emirati artist Mahmoud Al-Abadi took the Jury’s Special Award for Khayrukum Khayrukum li-Ahlihi.
The Ruler also honoured three figures for their contribution to the art form: Emirati calligrapher Ali Al Hammadi, Moroccan academic and calligraphy specialist Belaid Hamidi, and Egyptian calligrapher and visual artist Khalifa El-Shimy. He then toured exhibitions featuring work by 145 artists across a range of artistic movements, receiving explanations of the pieces on show. Officials at the opening included Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture; Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority; Sultan Mohammed Bin Huwaiden, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities; Dr Eisa Saif Bin Handhal, Chairman of the Department of Islamic Affairs; and Dr Ali Ibrahim Al Marri, Chairman of the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre, along with artists, intellectuals and calligraphy enthusiasts.
Among the shows on view is My Family, My Paradise, organised by the Emirates Society for Arabic Calligraphy and Islamic Ornamentation. It presents work by 11 UAE artists drawing on Quranic verses, Hadith, poetry and sayings, with the value of family and national identity as its central theme. The exhibitions and events remain open to the public at Calligraphy Square for the next five weeks, closing on November 15.
