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'Writing is not just the wrapping for meaning or for the text that is written or read. It is equally a form and sign with its own aesthetic message, and the task of organizing this vivid message in an aesthetic manner is the very essence of calligraphy.' Albert Kapr (1918 - 1995), university professor and calligrapher

Arabian calligraphy in all its complexity of aesthetics and content is little known in the western hemisphere. Far too often it is regarded as an art form belonging to the classic Islamic arts and therefore to the past. But it plays an important part in contemporary Arabic art.

One characteristic of traditional calligraphy that developed when the Koran was first written in the 7th century A.D., is the adherence to strict rules. Knowing these rules, and many years of training and practice were prerequisites for mastering the different writing styles. Even though calligraphers created new styles over the centuries, they always stayed within the boundaries defined by tradition. A radical recreation was not a priority. The transformation of writing into something other than words only began when dissociation from the strict rules took place. Calligraphers discovered the iconographic potential.

Development towards the modern era began in the 19th century when increasingly bilateral relations between Europe and the Orient with regard to economic interests and colonial politics also brought about reciprocal influences in the arts of both cultural spheres. While in Europe abstract painting was on the rise, artists in the Orient discovered representational painting. European artists such as Eugène Delacroix, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee or August Macke were inspired by the Orient and their work reflected this. Arabian and Iranian artists in turn came to Europe to study at the art academies. At first they were guided by Western art, but they soon found their very own visual language. In their quest for an autonomous way of expressing themselves artistically, the issue of an own cultural identity became more and more important. Inspired by European art trends such as Cubism and artists such as Georges Braque, Juan Miró or Antoni Tàpies, who used writing in their works, many began to return to calligraphy. By putting calligraphy into the context of contemporary art, by using it as a means of expression for their artistic ideas, these artists were also trying to reflect their roots, their cultural identity. In contemporary calligraphy the potential of writing is expanded until it approaches, or even becomes, image. Many artists are no longer interested in merely writing a legible word or text in a certain style; writing is used as a pictorial, formal element and, with regard to content, in a multitude of different contexts - religious, social, political or personal.

For Khaled Al Saai, born in Syria, Arabic calligraphy has become a medium for expressing feelings, thoughts, and sensations without being tied to the use of language. He deals especially with Arabic letters, their shapes, and their symbolic, religious, and musical origins. It is this variety of meaning, as well as the formal possibilities of the various writing styles, that influence Khaled Al Saai's creative processes. On his numerous trips through Arab countries, Europe, and the US, he has been inspired by cities and countryside, by landscapes and architecture, by the bustle of people in the street, and by the change of seasons, always anxious to realize his impressions in calligraphic creations. In each case he chooses a writing style that provides the best sensorial and emotional fit to his impressions. Letters and words are not arranged on a straight or horizontal line but rather written densely or detached, superimposed or one below the other, interlaced or labyrinthine in the imaginary space of the canvas. Letters interwoven in this way follow their own peculiar rhythm. Highly individualistic landscapes emerge as well as pictures that depict personal feelings and sensations. Khaled Al Saai exhausts the possibilities of Arabic script and makes it into abstract characters in order to convey the impressions of his trips and feelings as well as its abstract essence. In the exhibition The Spirit of Letters he presents a great number of works which have been inspired from the Islamic period in the Andalousian history.

Selected Collections in Sharjah Museum of Art, UAE, San Pedro Museum of Arts Mexico,Denver Museum of Arts Collorado USA and British Museum UK

The Qatari artist Yusef Ahmad began his artistic development between calligraphy and painting, after initially training as a calligrapher. From the very start, he attempted to 'marry these two disciplines'. In his early works, besides calligraphy, he also used typical elements of Islamic art like arabesques or geometric shapes. The legibility of letters, words and text, however, came to play an increasingly subordinate role in his works, as playing with forms, experimenting and using unusual colors and materials assumed greater importance for him. Collage has proved to be a suitable medium for achieving particular aesthetic effects. Words and letters are only recognizable by their shape and freed of their original meaning. Yusef Ahmad separates calligraphy from writing and language, turning it instead into characters with their own enigmatic meaning. But the artist goes even further. The letter eventually shrugs off its original shape to become a movement or a rhythm. By adopting this approach to his work, Yusef Ahmad consistently paved the way for himself from calligraphy to free painting.

Yousef Ahmad's work is regularly chosen by Bonham's, Sotheby's and Christies Committees for their auctions due to his outstanding ability and rich experience, being recognized as one of the best abstract artists in his field. His many participations in auctions have seen much success amongst keen collectors and institutions. Yousef Ahmad has exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and the Arab world. His work can be found in collections worldwide and in museums such as the British museum and the Metropolitan New York.

Both artists, Yusef Ahmad and Khaled Al Saai, often use poetry as their source of inspiration. In some of his works presented in this show Khaled Al Saai refers to the poets Mahmoud Darwish, Lisan ad-Din ibn al-Khatib and Ibn Khafajah. Unification of Shadows is the title of a poem by Mahmoud Darwish, one of the most famous Palestinian poets. He lived from 1941 to 2008. He was born in Western Galilee and died in Houston, Texas. Zaman which means time is the title of a poem of Lisan ad-Din ibn al-Khatib, a famous Andalousian poet, writer, philosopher and physician, who lived from 1313 to 1374. He also was a vizir at the court of Muhammed V. A number of his poems are on the wall of the Alhambra palace. Inspiration from a poem of Ibn Khafajah actually was inspired by Ibn Khafajah, one of the most famous poet of Al Andalous during the period of the Almoravids, who lived from 1058 to 1138/39.