Sharjah 24: as part of the activities of the twenty-fourth session of the Islamic Arts Festival. “Gradations”, in cooperation with the Emirates Society for Fine Arts, Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture, and Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs in the Department and Director of the Festival, inaugurated the “Arabic Calligraphy and Ceramics” exhibition, at the Society’s headquarters, in the presence of a large number of artists and media professionals.

The "Arabic Calligraphy and Ceramics" exhibition accompanies the opening of the Islamic Arts Festival, and celebrates the 50th UAE National Day.

The exhibition included a variety of calligraphic works by 15 calligraphers from the UAE and other Arab countries, namely, Anas Fattohi, Hussam Abdel Wahab, Khalifa El Shimy, and Dr. Abeer Issa, Dr. Fikri Al Najjar, Somaya Aziz, Abdul-Razzaq Al Mahmoud, Ali Al Zwailif, Muhammad Mukhtar Jaafar, Mahmoud Al-Sheikh, Mahmoud Diop, Maryam Al-Sahi, Muwaffaq Basal, Wissam Al Sayegh and Walid Al Shami.

The works included Arabic fonts that varied between Kufi, Diwani, Thuluth, Naskh, and other fonts. Lettering formations with professional mastery and artistic adaptations of the Arabic letter were represented in Quranic verses, supplications, and invocations.

Al Owais and Al Qaseer visited the exhibitions that included remarkable works, during which calligraphers presented innovative modern ideas that highlighted the beauty and vitality of the Arabic letter with its roundness and characteristics.

It is noteworthy that the Emirates Fine Arts Society will organise 4 calligraphic workshops within the activities of the Islamic Arts Festival, simulating the slogan of the 24th session "gradations", under the titles: "colour gradations” by calligrapher Abdul Rahim Salem, "gradations of Arabic calligraphy" by calligrapher Muhammad Mukhtar Jaafar, “Gradations in Stereoscopic Techniques” by calligrapher Bassem Al Sayer, and “Gradations in the use of Mix Media” by Hoda Saeed Seif.