John's Cross - Limited Edition Arabic Calligraphy Print 29 of 50 Drawing

Born 1988 in Nashville, Tennessee Currently working from my atelier in Beirut, Lebanon since 2011, I continue to pursue my education and understanding of Islamic Art and calligraphy. Working in the Diwani, Diwani Jali and square Kufic scripts, I use the words to create illustrations ranging from portraits to geometric abstract constructions. The work celebrates Middle Eastern and Islamic culture in addition to focusing on human rights in the post colonial era, with an emphasis on American and western foreign policy. With few calligraphers who use their words to illustrate rather than write, my greatest inspiration comes from Jila Peacock, and Hassan Musa. My aim is to eventually achieve the flawless legibility of Peacock's work while also grasping the visual accuracy with which Hassan Musa illegibly creates his animals and figures, using shapes and strokes inspired by calligraphy. As nearly all of the original work has been sold. I'm primarily selling limited edition facsimile giclee prints, on Saatchi, particularly only those in which at least half of the edition has already been sold.