Concretion I

In this outstanding and unusually dominant blue composition by Tunisian calligrapher and artist Nja Mahdaoui, we see his signature abstracted calligraphy waving horizontally, creating a dizzying movement that remind us of the sea and the high waves of the Mediterranean. Nja Mahdaoui is one of the most important calligraphers in North Africa today. Known as the 'choreographer of letters', and as an 'explorer of signs', Mahdaoui works on a variety of mediums, mainly vellum, very present in his earlier works, to his recent experimentation with contemporary installations as drums. He has illustrated legendary or sacred myths, tales or manuscripts. For instance, he has illustrated stories from the collection of tales "One Thousand and One Nights" which have been the subject of an outstanding French edition, thus reminding us how the influence of Arab literature and culture on our world is immense. He writes with inks, and paints with acrylics, metallic paints, and sometimes uses his hands to create a few special illusions of calligraphy. Always filling the spaces with stylized classical Arabic calligraphy, the words create interlinking relationships and are rarely decipherable, but express melodic and rhythmic compositions. There are a few layers with different levels of messages that the artist tries to convey through the fluidity, the intimacy and intricacy of the letters. His style is sometimes Far Eastern, his work is in between, not viwed as pure calligraphy but as abstract 'letterism' or the art of the word, a fusion between tradition and contemporary. Mahdaoui has been Jury member and Honor guest of many international events and biennales and he is a member of the International jury committee of the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts. He has received a number of distinctions and international awards. Nja Mahdaoui's work graces many museums, and public spaces around the world. The artist participated in numerous exhibitions worldwide including at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Hermitage Museum in St-Petersburg, the National Museum of Scotland and the Modern Art Museum in Baghdad. He has executed monumental works for the Museum of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the International Airports of Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and the decoration of Gulf Air aircrafts in 2000.