Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisian, b. 1937)

Known as the 'choreographer of letters', Nja Mahdaoui works on vellum, paper, fabric, polystyrene, metal, filling them with stylized Arabic calligraphy. Although his words are rarely decipherable, he uses letterforms as motifs to create rhythmic and melodic compositions.
These two works by Mahdaoui encapsulate many layers of meanings. Clearly written on vellum with materials close to those of 9th century Qur'anic scribes, but in a style which seems almost Far Eastern, they exist between tradition and modernity, calligraphy and abstract art, and act as a bridge between East and West.