Nja Mahdaoui

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Nja Mahdaoui ( Arabic نجا المهداوي, DMG Naǧā Mahdāwī , * 1937 in Tunisia ) is a Tunisian artist known for his works of calligraphy as a graphic art form. He has often been referred to as the "choreographer of the letters".

biography

Mahdaoui first studied painting and art history at the Carthage National Museum and later painting and philosophy at the Santa Andrea Academy in Rome (1966–68). He then moved to Paris, to the Cité internationale des arts , to attend courses at the École du Louvre . Mahdaoui returned to Tunisia in 1977 where he now lives and works.

Career

Nja Mahdaoui began his career as an abstract painter in the 1960s and then experimented with Arabic calligraphy . He tried various traditional and experimental media. In 1972 he created his first paintings on parchment , he painted animal skins and the human body. Today he is considered to be the “ inventor of abstract calligraphy ” because his designs resemble Arabic letters but have no literal meaning. When asked about his style, Mahdaoui said, “I use fragmented and distorted letters to refuse to evaluate any character.” He began creating his own personal “calligrams” on various media such as canvas, papyrus, sculpture, aluminum, brass, drum, Textile, embroidery, tapestry, ceramics, wood, jewelry, stained steel glass, airplanes, etc.

He comes from a generation of Arab artists who studied abroad but were inspired by their traditional roots. Mahdaoui focused on the poetic quality of Arabic texts and invented his own graphic style in his calligraphic works. The curator Rose Issa described his work with the words: "Mahdaoui takes care not to emphasize the meaning of words, but the visual impact of her compositions".

In 2000, he was selected by Gulf Air to design the exterior decoration of their fleet. He also painted monumental stained glass windows for public buildings in the United Arab Emirates. Mahdaoui followed his love of music, costumes, and performance by using various media to apply his "calligrams" to a variety of objects such as large denim curtains, musician costumes, or a bass drum.

Exhibitions and collections

Mahdaoui has participated in countless solo and group exhibitions, and his works are in private and public collections:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Elmarsa - Nja Mahdaoui. Retrieved February 5, 2020 .
  2. ↑ - Auction - The Young Collectors Auction. Retrieved February 5, 2020 .
  3. ↑ The Tunisian calligrapher Nja Mahdaoui: Builder of the future. In: qantara.de. Retrieved February 5, 2020 .
  4. ↑ ARTISTES. In: Institut des cultures arabes et méditerranéennes (ICAM). July 14, 2014, accessed February 5, 2020 (French).
personal data
SURNAME Mahdaoui, nja
ALTERNATIVE NAMES نجا المهداوي (Arabic); Naǧā Mahdāwī
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Tunisian artist
DATE OF BIRTH 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Tunisia