Arabic Calligraphy Culture & Skills

9 units · Undergraduate

Fall and Spring: 9 units Arabic calligraphy is a unique course offering because it seeks to teach a skill within a cultural context. Arabic calligraphy is rooted in Arabic and Islamic histories, cultures, arts, and religions, and identifying the interconnections will help you develop transferable communication skills that go beyond the written word. Course resources are carefully selected and used to provide background, and context, develop skills, and encourage exploration of Arabic Calligraphy as an art form and a cultural expression. This course will explore developments in Arabic calligraphy and study various rules and techniques for producing Arabic calligraphy and designs. We will learn two of the most popular styles: Riq'a and amp; Naskh. In the process, you will learn to recognize letter and word clusters and perhaps even how to pronounce some of the words. The course is designed as an interactive learning environment where you independently explore new materials and use your experience to guide skill development through mixed methods like lectures, discussions, audio-visual media, reflective learning, and more. For the course capstone project, you will produce a calligraphy piece that showcases styles and concepts learned in this course. Please note that while no previous knowledge of Arabic or its script is required to be successful in this course, students who are already familiar with - or are currently studying - Arabic or a language that uses the Arabic alphabet such as Persian, Pashto, or Urdu are strongly advised to challenge themselves by focusing on technique and exploring design ideas.