Samples of Islamic calligraphy, tazhib, and tekeldus on display in Baku

Shatu Art Group has presented a group exhibition "Hüsnün? A?iq", Azernews reports. The exhibition opened its doors at Khatai Arts Center in Baku.

Alongside samples of calligraphy, miniatures, tazhib (the use of gilding on finished text or patterns, as well as writing with gold paints made from natural pigments), and painting, there are examples of folk art – tekeldus (tambour embroidery), gurama (patchwork technique for creating a single canvas from individual pieces of material), artistic embroidery, and more. Of particular interest are the samples of Islamic calligraphy.

The main goal of the exhibition is to promote and preserve national spiritual values and pass them on to future generations.

Calligraphy is a form of visual art that involves the beautiful writing of various letters and texts. It emerged thousands of years ago and continues to exist today.

The term translates from Greek as "beautiful writing." The first mentions of the art of beautiful writing date back to 4000 BC, and it originated in China, where it was taken very seriously, referred to as "the first among the arts," with high demands placed on the masters of writing.

Islamic calligraphy is an artistic practice of handwritten writing and calligraphy in languages that use the Arabic alphabet or alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy. The development of Islamic calligraphy is closely linked to the Quran – verses and excerpts from the Quran serve as a common and almost universal text on which Islamic calligraphy is based.

The modern definition of calligraphy is the art of arranging signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner. Contemporary calligraphy is quite diverse, ranging from everyday handwritten notes on postcards to high art, where the expression of the handwritten character does not always produce clear letter forms. Classical calligraphy is significantly different from font-based works and non-standard handwritten forms, although a calligrapher must be able to do both; letters have formed into their shapes historically, yet they remain fluid and spontaneous, always created in the moment of writing.

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