Ahmed Moustafa
Dr. Ahmed Moustafa is a specialist in the science of Arabic penmanship and the roles of its letter shapes in the structural morphology of Islam. His creative works and tapestries are among the collections of international museums, institutions and private collections. His essays have been published in a number of languages, and a two-volume publication entitled The Cosmic Script – Geometry and the Science of Arabic Penmanship
will be published by Thames & Hudson in the UK and Inner Traditions International in the USA
The Cosmic Script
This lecture provides an illustrated explanation of the cosmic laws governing the art of Arabic penmanship and addresses the notions that enabled it to acquire its well-deserved status as the prime art of Islam. First, it will discuss this topic with particular focus on the Arabic script, not only as a visual medium of communication for the Revealed Word but also as an abstract sacred medium of visual expression recapitulating the unity and multiplicity of Divine Creation. Second, it will present how writing manifest in the single, integrated system of proportionality governing the formation of all the various letter-shapes. The presentation will show how an in-depth understanding of how this opens a new vista on the tradition of Arabic penmanship and other visual arts in Islam
