ARABIC ART AND CULTURE

In visual arts we frequently run into circles where we find ourselves looking back to the past for inspiration and the regeneration of creative energies. Contemporary Arabic art does not necessarily repeat itself in the same way, but rather repeats itself with variations and remixes of old themes in new garb.

Arabic art is still practiced with great intensity and passion today. Contemporary calligraphers still train through traditional teachings and meld them with todayís multimedia environment. The result is innovative, iconic and a dichotomy of the past and the future.

Arabic/Middle Eastern/Persian culture and art have made a huge global impact. There is so much to offer and is in fact a far cry from the belly dancing, pharaoh laden, sheesha filled falafel images that we are used to seeing. Although the ancient poems of Rumi still echo throughout generations along with arabesque still in mode after centuries, there is a generation of young Arabs who are producing art of their own.

The Arabic diasporic population, which extends from North Africa, Iraq, the Gulf Egypt through to the Persian peninsula, Indian sub continent, Turkey and parts of Europe the Indian sub continent have all been imparting their art into societies and can be seen in all areas of the arts from comedians like Ahmed Ahmed, architects like Zaha Hamid, to hip hop aficionados Outlandish, to the much revered artist Shirin Neshat to novelist Adhaf Soueif to film makers like Abbas Kiraostami and the Makhmalmbaf family. There are Arab Persian and Middle Eastern film festivals in Paris, Ramallah and even Baghdad. Hollywood is rapidly looking to the Arab world with Ridley Scott’s Salahudin epic in production and Cannes will be at the ready to take on the next lot of Arab filmmakers wares.

The USA has an abundance of Arabic inspired artists as sculptors, painters, photographers who use calligraphy in their work and Europe has hosted Arab art exhibitions in some of their most prestigious galleries including the Guggenheim's. Now the UK presents its realization of this innovative and exquisite art. PSP the beautiful script has made a bold move.

Get ready to embrace.



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