Timo Nasseri’s ‘Unknown Letters’ (2015-2017) are on view at the ‘Scripts and Calligraphy: Paths to the Soul’ exhibition organised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in Riyadh.
The exhibition explores the beauty and harmony of Arabic Calligraphy, and sheds light on the spiritual dimension of the art of calligraphy in the Arab-Muslim civilization through historical, classical, and contemporary artworks.
Representing the Unknown Letters, these four wooden sculptures were born out of Nasseri’s drawings inspired by the life of Ibn Muqla (885–940), the famous Baghdadi calligrapher who, in 935 AD, attempted to add four letters to the Arabic alphabet.
His innovation was lost and his letters never added to the alphabet; however, his system of proportionality is still in use today. Eager to recover this lost heritage, Nasseri delved intensely into Arabic script and alphabet, paying particular attention to form and aesthetics. Indeed, wondering whether Ibn Muqla might have glimpsed his letters in the stars, he lifted his eyes to the night sky and searched for constellations whose bright spots might have served as inspiration, and whose shape might embody the curves of Ibn Muqla’s lost letters in the Baghdad sky of over a thousand years ago. The result is a number of ink drawings that compose a “Mind Map”, which served as inspiration for the wooden structures displayed.
Scripts and Calligraphy: Paths to the Soul exhibition explores the beauty and harmony of Arabic Calligraphy, and sheds light on the spiritual dimension of the art of calligraphy in the Arab-Muslim civilization through historical, classical, and contemporary artworks. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the second edition of this exhibit focuses on four complementary themes: Light, Letter, Space, and Poetry, all of which shed light on the spirituality that infuses both the reflection and techniques of the calligrapher, and the emotion that Arabic calligraphy arouses in those who read it and contemplate it. 34 calligraphers from 11 nationalities and 19 contemporary artists and designers from 12 nationalities have contributed to this exhibition, including artists and designers from Saudi Arabia.
