My new series, “Celebration of Calligraphy,” started in spring 2009 after the publication of my book The Lyrical Line: Embracing All and Flowing. The book had been my dream for ten years while I was working intensely on several themes in my artwork. Once the book was published, I could stand back and think: “Now what?” I wanted to try new themes and techniques. I started working with copper, to bring sculptural shapes and materials into my painting, but I found myself yearning to find infinite possibilities of the lyrical line itself on large canvases.
Here on these large canvases, I want to release myself from telling human stories through the lyrical line. I also want to free myself from the actual meaning of the words and the text. I just want to plunge myself into the pleasure of contemplating the abstract flow of the swelling lines, and form compositions of lines and fields within given space. Though color is a particular interest of mine, in my present work I am experimenting with the movement of lyrical Arabic calligraphy line with minimal use of color. I want to release myself from the temptation of using color and enjoy the celebration of calligraphy through lyrical visions. Here the flow of humanity and spirituality merge. I am painting several canvases to absorb the lyrical language that starts from the field of action and sits in the field of the heart.