Arab artists: Khalifa al-Shaimi paints with his words

Khalifa al-Shaimi is an Egyptian artist who paints with his words, these words are often poignant and reflect the artist’s innermost thoughts.

Al-Shaimi, famed for his mastery of Arabic calligraphy, believes that incorporating letters and words into his art work is like “walking on a tightrope.”

Egyptian artist Khalifa al-Shaimi

“If you do not manage it well, your work is doomed to fail, and conversely, if you do it effectively, you have gone a step forward in the craft of aesthetically combining calligraphy and fine arts,” he explained.

This artist has been trained by renowned figures, perfectionists in the art of calligraphy, the most recent of these mentors was the Turkish artist Hassan Jalabi.

Through such experiences al-Shaimi found a deep appreciation of the lettered art form.

He now uses the brush as a tool for coloring and writing the “Thuluth” form of script, which is seen as the most difficult variety of Arabic calligraphy.

Using this script al-Shaimi inscribes his art works with personal invocations, prayers and adages, offering the audience a unique view into his private feelings and wishes.

Al-Shaimi admits that he writes these thoughts in many layers on the canvas, choosing to leave some visible while hiding others that are, perhaps, far too personal to the artist.

To read more and view Khalifa al-Shaimi’s art please follow the link:

http://enawafeth.alarabiya.net/content/he-writes-many-layers-exposes-some-and-removes-others