Mouneer Al-Shaarani

Mouneer Al-Shaarani (Arabic: منير الشعراني‎; b. Sep 6, 1952, in Al-Salamiya, Syria) is a Syrian graphic artist specialized in Arabic calligraphy.[1] From the age of 15, he studied the art of calligraphy under the Syrian calligrapher Muḥammad Badawi Al-Dirany[2], and until his graduation in 1977, he studied Fine Arts at Damascus University. Al-Shaarani has worked as calligrapher, book designer, and writer since 1968. He has designed several Arabic typefaces that were used on his book covers or other graphic creations. His work has been exhibited in the Middle East, Europe, Australia and the United States.[3] For many years, he lived and worked in Cairo,[4] and since the early 2000s, he has returned to Damascus.

Artistic profile

Based on his command of traditional Arabic calligraphy, Al-Shaarani has been using ancient calligraphic styles, such as Kairouan Kufic, Square Kufic, Thuluth or Maghrebi script, and at the same time, developed and modernized the shapes of the letters according to his personal, modern style.[5] Choosing his texts both from Islamic as well as from Christian religious sources, but mainly from Arab philosophers or Sufi poets, such as Ibn Arabi, Al-Mutanabbi, or Ibn Sina, he conveys non-religious, but universal messages. An example is this quote from the Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran "The whole earth is my homeland and the human family my clan."[6]

Apart from historical quotes, he sometimes also expresses his own contemporary messages, such as in his series of calligraphic designs with the message NO TO... "No to ignorance, no to disease, no to poverty, no to fear, no to oppression, no to divisionism, no to discrimination, no to backwardness, no to dependence."[7]

One artist with a deep appreciation for the Arabic script is the internationally acclaimed Mouneer Al-Shaarani. Al-Shaarani uses calligraphy art to inspire the people of his nation in Syria. By creating highly intellectual work that reflects his interest in modern poetry and literature, as well as Islamic, Christian and Sufi philosophy.

— Marsoum Art Collective, World Arabic Language Day & The Work of Mouneer Al-Shaarani, [8]

Another important aspect of Al-Shaarani's artistic work is his view that "Arabic calligraphy has nothing to do with religion. It is the result of a civilization and not a religion. Religion benefited from calligraphy and not the other way round. The development of Arabic script was not initiated by religion, but by the state of the Umayyads. Second, calligraphy is an art. It has no finality or climax. The Arabic script has no “sacred” status for me." [9]

Major exhibitions
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See also

References
  1. Ghazoul, Ferial J. (2001-01-01). "The poetics of calligraphy: an interview with Mouneer Al-Shaa`rani". Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics: 288–290.
  2. Muḥammad Badawī al-Dīrānī, khaṭṭāṭ Bilād al-Shām = Arabic calligrapher Badawi Al-Dirani 1894-1967 /. Damascus: al-Amānah al-ʻĀmmah li-Iḥtifālīyat Dimashq ʻĀṣimat al-Thaqāfah al-ʻArabīyah,. 2008.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  3. "Mouneer Al-Shaarani". Khatt Foundation. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  4. "people - Sharjah Art Foundation". sharjahart.org. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. "In conversation with Mouneer Al Shaarani". The National. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  6. "منير الشعراني - Mouneer Alshaarani". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  7. "منير الشعراني - Mouneer Alshaarani". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  8. https://marsoum.co/journal/world-arabic-language-day-the-work-of-mouneer-al-shaarani
  9. In an interview on the occasion of his exhibition in Berlin in 2018, he stated: "Erstens hat die arabische Kalligraphie nichts mit Religion zu tun. Sie ist das Ergebnis einer Zivilisation und nicht einer Religion. Die Religion profitierte von der Kalligrafie und nicht umgekehrt. Die Entwicklung der arabischen Schrift wurde nicht von der Religion angestoßen, sondern vom Staat der Umayyaden. Zweitens ist die Kalligraphie eine Kunst. Sie kennt weder Endgültigkeit noch Höhepunkt. Die arabische Schrift hat für mich keinen „heiligen“ Status – ich will genau diesen Käfig aufbrechen, der in der Zeit der Osmanen um die Schrift herum errichtet wurde.“
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