Arabic calligraphy seeks to render the Arabic alphabet in a beautiful, decorative form. With roots in the Quran and in architectural decorations, this calligraphy has spread outside the Islamic world, with pieces created in America, Europe, Japan and other places across the globe. In an increasingly digitalised modern society, there has been a re-examination of the role that handwritten text plays. This exhibition traces the state of Arabic calligraphy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as well as the trajectory of its rebirth.

Lines and Dots: The Aesthetic Journey of Arabic Calligraphy
Dates: March 13, 2025 – June 17
Venue: Thematic Exhibition Hall, National Museum of Ethnology
Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 (Entry is permitted until 16:30)
Closed on Wednesdays

Images supplied by the National Museum of Ethnology