Risus Antiquis Drawing

Maomeii Be. (b. 1975) is a Canadian/Algerian Artist based in Calgary. Classically trained in traditional Arabic calligraphy and Art, his desire to know more about the way in which the written form is expressed in different cultures led him to travel and study with renewed masters. To better express himself, he broke from the tradition and introduced other elements, particularly on his work in large sizes. Maomeii has adopted the journey of spontaneous and abstract style, which involves the informal movement and creativity. His Cognitive calligraphy artwork takes shape through drawings and paintings which are based on classical calligraphic styles and techniques, but that simultaneously break the rules to create an alternative idiom through his own subjective expression to work in a more free-form improvisational style. Researching culture, Asian history, philosophy, storytelling, and martial arts have always been a constant influence to Maomeii and his contemporary Chinese-Arabic fusion and abstract works, where he combines elements of traditional Asian ink painting, Arabic calligraphy, and modern art. In this fusion, Maomeii's style beautifully incorporates the flowing lines of Chinese calligraphy and the larger planes of abstract expressionism as seen in the Western painting. With this multi-cultural dimension, he aims to reach out to the spiritual and material status of people. © Rhythms of calligraphy™