The Calligrapher’s Garden
£10.00
- ISBN
- 9780863568565
- Pages
- 128
- Published
- April 2012
- Illustrations
- 56 colour and 14 black & white calligraphies
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 Artist
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.
Venetia Porter Introduction by
Venetia Porter is former senior curator for Islamic and Contemporary Middle East art at the British Museum where she is now honorary research fellow. Her exhibitions include Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam (2012) and she was the lead curator for the Albukhary Foundation gallery of the Islamic World (opened 2018). She is a trustee of the Arab British Centre and her most recent publication is Artists Making Books: Poetry to Politics (British Museum Press 2023).
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
