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In conjunction with the exhibition, Breath, Gesture and Light, Hassan Massoudy will give a talk about his work and creative process.
Hassan Massoudy was born in 1944 in Najaf, southern Iraq in a traditional Iraqi society. He moved to Baghdad in 1961, where he learnt the various classical styles of calligraphy, and studied graphic design and fine arts. His desire to study art, coinciding with the political events in Iraq at the time, saw him depart for Paris in 1969, where he enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Massoudy was not only influenced by the great Arabic masters but also by the artists Léger, Matisse, Soulages and Picasso. After receiving his degree in 1975, he returned to calligraphy, employing classical styles in a newer and freer manner. From 1972, he toured Europe for thirteen years with his ‘Arabesque’ performance combining music, poetry and calligraphy
Peace and tolerance are central themes of his work. Massoudy’s work was exhibited and used as the primary promotional image for the British Museum’s 2006 exhibition, Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East. In 2007, October Gallery London, presented a solo exhibition of his work, Modern Arabic Calligraphy. In 2012, Gestures of Light – The Art of Hassan Massoudy, was exhibited at the Ghaf Art Gallery for ADMAF, Abu Dhabi. This Abu Dhabi Festival commission presented the Arab world premiere solo exhibition by one of the most celebrated artist-calligraphers of our time. His work has been displayed in many galleries and museums, including The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.; Musée des Manuscrits du Mont Saint Michel, Avranches; Centre d’Art Contemporain, Abbaye de Trizay; and the Palais des Congrès de Grasse, France. In 2013, he exhibited at the Sharjah Biennial 11 and in 2015, at Frontiers Reimagined, a collateral event of the 56th Venice Biennale. Massoudy’s new English-language book of works inspired by love poems from the Arab and Islamic world, Calligraphies of Love was released in April, 2017.
Artist:
Hassan Massoudy is an artist for whom the word itself remains the most sublime creative force. His creations are a subtle mix of present and past, oriental and occidental, tradition and modernity. The words and phrases, which are the inspiration for his calligraphy, are drawn from proverbs, poets and philosophers throughout the centuries, ranging from St. Augustine, Virgil and Ibn’-al-Arabi to Baudelaire and Rousseau.
Hassan Massoudy was born in 1944 in Najaf, southern Iraq in a traditional Iraqi society. He moved to Baghdad in 1961, where he learnt the various classical styles of calligraphy, studied graphic design and fine arts. His desire to study art, coupled with the political events in Iraq at the time, saw him leave for Paris in 1969 where he enrolled at the École des Beaux- Arts. Massoudy was not only influenced by the great Arabic masters but also the artists Leger, Matisse, Soulages and Picasso. After receiving his degree in 1975 he returned to calligraphy in a more enriched way, employing classical styles in a newer and freer manner. From 1972 he toured Europe for thirteen years with his Arabesque performance combining music, poetry and calligraphy.
Peace and tolerance are central themes of his work leading him to work with Amnesty International, UNICEF and other related organisations.
Massoudy’s work was exhibited and used as the primary promotional image for the British Museum’s 2006 exhibition, Word Into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East.
"The gestures of the calligrapher become an open space, welcoming the words of the poet and the imagination of the onlooker".
Hassan Massoudy
24 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AL
