Born: 1977
Biography:
Sabah Arbilli is a prize-winning British-Iraqi artist who was born in 1977 and currently lives and works between the UK and Qatar. He studied civil engineering, but a boyhood fascination with Arabic letter formation led to him shifting his focus to art and gaining a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the University of Wales. Arbilli explained in an interview with Artscoops that he found the composition and rhythm of Arabic letters exceptionally beautiful, while at school he was often praised for his handwriting. These words of encouragement prompted him to work as a calligrapher during the holidays, taking on jobs such as creating signs for buildings and wedding cards. He also found some common ground and affiliations with his civil engineering studies, including the use of geometrical form and rules and structures. Sabah Arbilli’s Style and Media Today, he is recognised as a master of Arabic calligraphy, rethinking and redefining the genre through contemporary abstract interpretations of letters and works across a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, ceramics and installation. Through his works, he shares allegorical narrations that sometimes reference autobiographical elements and topical issues, from immigration to political aspects. Arbilli has explained that he usually takes inspiration from letters and words that mean something to him as a starting point for a piece of work, perhaps reflecting on the context and message if he’s working from a poem or reading. He has described his mind as a blank canvas until he is able to translate a concept into a vision, with all the elements –