Hassan Massoudy’s book 'Calligraphies of the Desert', a compilation of artworks and texts, is an ode to the arid terrain. Saqi Books
Hassan Massoudy’s book 'Calligraphies of the Desert', a compilation of artworks and texts, is an ode to the arid terrain. Saqi Books
Hassan Massoudy’s book 'Calligraphies of the Desert', a compilation of artworks and texts, is an ode to the arid terrain. Saqi Books
Hassan Massoudy’s book 'Calligraphies of the Desert', a compilation of artworks and texts, is an ode to the arid terrain. Saqi Books

Calligrapher Hassan Massoudy's latest book is a visual and historical journey through the desert


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

In the early 1970s, Hassan Massoudy received an offer to lead a calligraphy workshop in the deserts of Mauritania.

Seeking to escape a Parisian winter, he accepted. With his reed pens, brushes and ink bottles packed, he travelled to the North African country with his wife, Isabelle.

The trip marked the first time Massoudy had been in a desert since he left his native Iraq in 1969. Surrounded by the enigmatic expanse, Massoudy realised how much of the desert he carried within him. His wife, too, became mesmerised by the landscape's vastness and stillness.

In a way, Massoudy's newest release, Calligraphies of the Desert, has been in the works since then. The pocket-sized book, a compilation of artworks and texts, is as much a visual ode to the arid terrain – long misunderstood for its cruel, scalding antagonism to life – as it is an opportunity to view the desert in a new light.

Some of the earthy colours I used were actually derived from the desert

In the decade following that initial trip, the couple made periodical excursions to the deserts across North Africa, trekking across the sands of Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco. Sometimes it was Massoudy’s workshops that prompted their travels. Other times, it was simply the couple’s desire to explore the dunes rolling in continuum.

"We would be surrounded by them," Massoudy tells The National. "After nightfall, we'd stay in a large tent, where Isabelle would read poetic and literary texts by candlelight written by those who travelled the desert, from hundreds of years ago to our present day."

Upon returning to Paris, where the couple reside, Isabelle would visit libraries, reading and documenting whatever texts she could find about the desert.

“In turn, I began drawing calligraphy based on the texts,” Massoudy says.

Calligraphies of the Desert is a product of that collaboration. The Iraqi artist honours the landscape by taking the works Isabelle collected over the years and interpreting them through Arabic calligraphy. The texts include proverbs from around the world, as well as poetic reflections about the desert's symbolism by the likes of Rumi, Goethe and Abu Nuwas.

“The way lies beneath your feet” reads one of the quotes in the book in Arabic and English. Across the page from the proverb, in thin, precise lines, Massoudy's calligraphy evokes a sense of movement and progress.

Another artwork shows a broad, crimson semi-circle footed by an undulating calligraphy stroke that reads 'biir', the Arabic for well. On the page across is a quote by The Little Prince author Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which reads: "What beautifies the desert is that it hides a well somewhere."

Arabic calligraphy, in the way it braids and ebbs, may be the perfect artistic medium with which to pay tribute to the desert. But Massoudy wanted to do more than just visually allude to the landscape; he wanted the desert to actually form a part of the book.

Najaf was a small city then, one that was surrounded by the desert. Its narrow, dark alleys would suddenly be confronted by the sun's golden light

“Some of the earthy colours I used were actually derived from the desert,” he says. For instance, a brown ink was made using a thousand-year-old technique, which involves burning a clump of wool and leather in a bowl until a paste is formed. “We can then make tablets out of that paste. Mixing the tablets in water gives us ink," he says.

“We also had to see how to cohesively match the black calligraphy with the coloured ones facing it. Every page required discussion and dialogue.”

The texts found in Calligraphies of the Desert unpack many of the landscape's timeless associations, such as solitude and perseverance. But there is also another driving element within the book – the warmth of a home town Massoudy has not visited in more than 50 years.

The artist says he only began to think about what the desert meant to him after he left Iraq in 1969. The country at the time was undergoing major political upheavals as the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party established its ruling position. Distraught at the country’s political circumstances and tired of drawing calligraphy on store banners and other non-artistic commissions, Massoudy, then 25, left to study at France's National School of Fine Arts.

Since then, he has established himself as one of the world's top calligraphers. His public performances, which combine music, poetry and live calligraphy projected on a screen, have paved the way for a new generation of calligraphers, including French-Tunisian street artist eL Seed, who has credited Massoudy with revolutionising the art form.

Now in his late seventies, Massoudy affectionately recalls his home town of Najaf. The city, located about 160 kilometres south of Baghdad, was paramount, he says, to his relationship with the desert.

“Najaf was a small city then, one that was surrounded by the desert. Its narrow, dark alleys would suddenly be confronted by the sun’s golden light. It was situated 30 metres above the Euphrates, so it was constantly thirsty. The desert entered our city and we always wandered in the desert," he says.

Though the book’s title and contents may refer to the desert at large, Massoudy notes that each country has its own variant of the terrain.

"In the Mauritanian city of Chinguetti, when entering from the side of the valley, the sand is clean and amazingly white, like flour. In the city of Djanet in southern Algeria, there are high rocks sculpted by nature," he says.

"They resemble the works of the sculptor Henry Moore. It gives the feeling of being in an open-air museum.”

Calligraphies of the Desert is published by Saqi Books

AIR
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Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8) 

Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)

Kanye%20West
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.

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ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

Naga
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  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
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