See the work of Yemeni artist Nasser Al Aswadi at Art Space in Dubai this month. Al Aswadi lives and works in France and this is his first exhibition in the UAE. He uses calligraphy as a way to express his feelings and thoughts without them being specifically linked to language. Arabic letters and words are not drawn in a straight line or placed horizontally, but painted and stacked separately so that they lose their meaning and instead, create depth and a kind of landscape. He says that writing is the core of his work but that it strays from the normal usage to enable others to enter into a world of visual language.
His work also has spiritual undertones because rather than use calligraphy as a form of information, he is using it as a medium and hopes to transport the viewer to another dimension upon viewing his work.
* Open Horizons by Nasser Al Aswadi runs until February 28. www.artspace-dubai.com
