The Calligrapher’s Garden

About the Book

Hassan Massoudy’s elegant calligraphy depicts the four seasons of the garden. From the icy palettes of winter and the fading hues of autumn to delicate spring growth and the dazzling sunshine and blooms of summer, he captures in calligraphy what countless poets have wrought with words.

Massoudy draws his seasonal inspirations from writers and artists, including Kahlil Gibran, Henri Matisse, Lao Tzu, William Blake and Victor Hugo, as well as from Hungarian, Spanish, Turkish and Japanese proverbs.

About the Author

Hassan Massoudy was born in Najaf, Iraq. He moved to France in 1969, where he studied at L’École des Beaux-Arts. Considered to be one of the greatest living calligraphers, his work has influenced a generation of artists. It has been exhibited throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and is housed in the permanent collections of the British Museum and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, among others. Nineteen books of Massoudy’s calligraphy have been published in France, where he now lives. His publications in English include The Calligrapher’s Garden, Calligraphies of Love and Calligraphies of the Desert. 

About the Artist

Hassan Massoudy was born in Najaf, Iraq. He moved to France in 1969, where he studied at L’École des Beaux-Arts. His work has been exhibited throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and is in the permanent collections of the British Museum and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, among others. Twenty-two books of his calligraphy have been published in France, along with his autobiography, Si Loin de l’Euphrate: Une jeunesse d’artiste en Irak.

Reviews

‘Hassan Massoudy’s calligraphies are arranged to loosely follow the seasons, beginning and ending with autumn: sombre, wintry hues at one end, brilliant tones full of vibrant reds at the other.’
Venetia Porter, The British Museum

'A feast for the eyes and balm for the soul.'
Télérama

'The triumph of this inspirational book is ultimately Massoudy's, who not only selected the texts, but created the exquisitely beautiful compositions.'
Maria Golia, The Middle East

'In bright, broad strokes mingling with inventive, intricate shapes, Massoudy describes the garden's four seasons with sayings from some of the artists who have inspired him.'
Banipal