Eight Hundred Drawing

Oakgall ink, cinnabar, egg tempera (all hand-prepared). 76 x 56 cm. 2016. Arabic is called لغة الضاد, “the language of Dad”, because this letter supposedly exists in no other language. The numerical value of ض is 800, so I set out to create a pattern out of 800 letters, not mechanically but with a bamboo reed and ink, and no margin for any error. In a reversal of the deadening trend of traditional calligraphy, which consists in training the hand till it mechanically draws the exact same character every time, I gave each of these letters my full attention and intention, looking for its essence through imperceptible variations from one to the other: lengthening the tail, narrowing or widening the space inside the letter, rounding the angles, altering the line thickness The result is that they are all the same letter, but they are still all unique, creating a variegated texture like cloth hand-woven out of coarse-spun thread.

Drawing:Ink on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:29.9 W x 22 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.