LONDON: As a young man, Lebanese artist Hanibal Srouji was forced to flee his homeland as the violence of the civil war took hold. Eventually, the siren call of his country lured him back home, only for him to become embroiled once again in its turbulence. “I chose to come back, but I don’t know how long I can last,” he tells Arab News. “I wake up every morning and ask myself ‘How far can I go today?’”
Arabic calligraphy: Ancient craft, modern art
For the Saudi Ministry of Culture's Year of Arabic Calligraphy in 2020/21, we take an in-depth look at how the craft has developed from ancient to modern times.