Get lost in a library of rare books from as early as the 15th century and follow the elegant brushstrokes of Arabic calligraphy with an abstract twist.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Two of the oldest books from our collection,
00:04they show the influence of the Islamic world of science
00:08and astronomy to the western world
00:10and why these books are so important.
00:12This is the main recipe of creating a cartoon.
00:16Keep it simple, keep it direct and keep it funny.
00:19Hello and welcome to Kata 365 with me, Laila Humaira.
00:26On this episode, we are looking at literature
00:28through a creative lens, going beyond the pages of a book
00:32and exploring how a story can be told through art,
00:36whether it's the elegant brushstrokes of calligraphy
00:39or the striking colours of a mural.
00:41But first, I'm here at the Museum of Islamic Art
00:44to visit a library that's home to one of the biggest collections
00:47of books on Arab art and culture in the region.
00:52Beyond the rich collection of historical objects on display,
00:56the Museum of Islamic Art is also a beacon of learning.
01:01The Mia Library occupies a large section of the museum,
01:05a welcoming space for people of all ages.
01:08While the books can't actually be borrowed,
01:11Susan Pakalivi, who's the head of the Mia Library,
01:14says its extensive collection is worth making a few visits.
01:18It's one of the biggest collections of books
01:21about Islamic art.
01:23We have 25,000 titles and we have around 70,000 volumes.
01:27It's definitely very specialist in Islamic art
01:29and something that any scholar interested in the subject
01:32should come and visit us.
01:34Most of the books are easy to find,
01:36but the library's best-kept secret is hidden in plain sight.
01:41Deep in the vaults of the museum is a room full of ancient texts.
01:46One of the highlights of the Mia Library
01:50is a collection of rare books,
01:52a treasure trove of more than 5,000 old manuscripts and diaries
01:56dating as far back as the 15th century.
01:59Written in Arabic, Latin, French and Persian,
02:02the books cover a wide range of topics,
02:05from astronomy to geography, history to religion,
02:09and autobiographies detailing the voyages of early explorers.
02:14So here I've selected two of the oldest books from our collection.
02:17One of them is in Arabic and Latin
02:19and the other one is just in Latin.
02:21And the thing that these two both have in common
02:23is they show the influence of the Islamic world of science
02:27and astronomy to the Western world.
02:29So the first one is a book in Latin,
02:32which is from the time of the printing press in Incantabula,
02:35and it has very beautiful illustrations
02:37as well as the text that you can see.
02:39And then the Arabic book here is on philosophy and also on science.
02:43Bound together by animal skin,
02:45the Lebanese scholar known in Europe as Abraham Echolenesis
02:49published this book in 1641.
02:52Meanwhile, the Introductorium in Astronomium,
02:56printed in 1489,
02:58played a pivotal role in spreading
03:00Islamic astrological knowledge to medieval Europe.
03:03The Arabs were really ahead of the time on this
03:06and you see through the book there's very beautiful illustrations
03:09and it's just a very beautiful typeset as well.
03:12These books may be rare and old,
03:14but the library also recognizes
03:16the subtle difference between a rare copy
03:19and an antiquarian book.
03:21Rare books don't necessarily have to be about the date.
03:25So a rare book can be something that it's rare
03:28because it's a limited edition,
03:30there's only a certain number that have been produced
03:32because of the provenance.
03:34Sometimes it's like something can be so specific and so rare
03:38that it's a different thing than the age of it.
03:41Rare or antiquarian,
03:43the library is committed to preserving the books
03:46to keep them in the best condition.
03:48One way to make the texts timeless and accessible
03:51is to digitize them.
03:53The digitization efforts reflect
03:55the library's approach to technology,
03:57choosing to embrace changing trends.
04:00We have e-books, we have libguides,
04:02we have online resources.
04:03Anyone in the world can kind of tap in
04:05and see our digitized versions
04:07of some of the things in the rare book room
04:09and also the e-books that we have.
04:11So, you know, I really don't think
04:13that technology is a problem.
04:15It's really something that's actually an advantage.
04:20Well, cultural identity and heritage
04:22can also be preserved through public art,
04:25illustrations and sculptures,
04:27like this mural behind me called Family Reunion,
04:30a masterpiece by the award-winning Qatari artist
04:33Abdul Aziz Yusuf.
04:35After years of working as a cartoonist,
04:38Abdul Aziz has taken his talent to the streets
04:41and I got a chance to meet him
04:43to find out how he creates modern art
04:45based on Qatari traditions.
04:53Firstly, let's go back to the beginning.
04:55How and when did you get into art?
04:58Since ever, I can't remember.
05:00I was the kid that draws all the time in the classroom.
05:03But the actual beginning was in 2007.
05:06There was an opportunity in a local newspaper
05:09for artists to publish daily cartoons.
05:12And I said, okay, yeah, it's my turn to try this field.
05:17I was so happy with the 3,000 riyals a month.
05:21This is what motivated me to become a professional.
05:24Now, the art of cartooning can be seen
05:26as a powerful tool of communication.
05:28Cartoonists can say a lot
05:30with little or sometimes no words at all.
05:33So how can you tell a story
05:35or send a message through cartoons?
05:38No, it's simple.
05:40It's like an abstract form to tell one thing.
05:45So you just have to focus on one thing
05:48so you don't confuse people.
05:50And that one thing has to be
05:52the most powerful piece in your message.
05:55This is the main recipe of creating a cartoon.
05:58Keep it simple, keep it direct, and keep it funny.
06:01Over the years, you've developed your own distinct style.
06:04How did you find it?
06:06I tried to find shortcuts
06:08where I don't draw the fundamentals of drawing a face
06:12or follow a successful guide to create a character design.
06:18So there is a heritage of abstracting the faces
06:22and creating shapes and so on.
06:24And I just took the gist of it
06:26and applied it in my own word
06:28using my cartoon drawing tool.
06:30Pursuing identity as much as
06:32trying to be as realistic as possible
06:35to be honest and reflecting what you see.
06:38And you're also very involved
06:40in nurturing or shaping
06:42the future generation of Qatari artists.
06:44How do you inject a sense of creativity and wonder
06:47when you're guiding them?
06:49I think giving back to the community
06:52is a tool to fuel your ability
06:55to sustain a level.
06:58So working with the new generation
07:01and trying to boost the best that they have
07:06and then give them the compliments necessary
07:09to start a beautiful journey
07:12is very important for me
07:14to reflect what I have received from people too.
07:22While Abdul Aziz is inspired by people and nature
07:25other artists in Qatar
07:27draw inspiration from letters and words.
07:30Joanna Hu's met two innovators
07:32in the field of calligraphy
07:34whose fresh take on the millennia-old art of writing
07:37inspires younger generations
07:39and makes the traditional craft
07:41fit for the 21st century.
07:45Sabah Arbili creates traditional calligraphy
07:48but with a modern twist.
07:50Whether it's steel sculptures or abstract canvases
07:53the Iraqi-born artist has a unique style
07:56and blends the old with the new.
07:58As a classic calligrapher
08:00in the beginning it's just like singing
08:03you're imitating sounds
08:05you try to learn the style
08:07and when I did all this I realised
08:10no, I have to take it further
08:12to create my own take into the art of calligraphy
08:15adding the twist of modern into the Arabic calligraphy
08:18that was my aim.
08:20Based in the UK but spending much of his time in Qatar
08:23Sabah has left his mark on Doha's skyline.
08:26This 7.5m tall sculpture
08:28is a contemporary interpretation
08:30of the words of an old poem
08:32by Qatar's founding father
08:34Sheikh Jasim bin Mohammed Al Thani
08:36which Sabah specifically designed
08:38for the country's national day.
08:40Towering over the Corniche
08:42it's become an iconic landmark
08:44that merges abstraction with traditional penmanship.
08:46You're overwhelmed by the amount of people
08:48coming by the sculpture
08:50looking at it without understanding anything about it
08:52they couldn't even read it
08:54but they were managing to get their phone out
08:56and take a photo with it
08:58as they're celebrating the art of calligraphy
09:00slash modern with me
09:02and with everybody else
09:04I was super excited about it.
09:06Beyond just a job
09:08Sabah sees calligraphy as a passion
09:10he hopes that by exhibiting internationally
09:12he will introduce art enthusiasts
09:14all over the world
09:16to an old craft that they might not be familiar with.
09:18So in a lot of cultures
09:20I had an exhibition in Washington two years ago
09:22you know the audience they had
09:24absolutely no clue about
09:26why all this mess in my art
09:28but I said it's not a mess
09:30it is an interpretation of the text
09:32but it's twisted
09:34into a modern conceptual meaning
09:36so then they felt
09:38related to the artwork.
09:40Abdul Karim is another Doha based
09:42creative who captivates audiences
09:44by adding a modern touch
09:46to the ancient art of writing.
09:48His distinctive style known as calligraphy
09:50put him in the international
09:52spotlight. In 2022
09:54his work caught the eye of
09:56Football Federation FIFA
09:58who appointed him as one of the official street artists
10:00for the World Cup in Qatar.
10:02Since then public art has played
10:04a big role in his success.
10:06Whenever we go to the public
10:08it's kind of you're bringing the art
10:10to people
10:12not the people come to the art
10:14so for me
10:17it's my responsibility
10:19make a bridge in between
10:21the art should refresh
10:23not a sentimental
10:25Abdul uses non-traditional painting methods
10:27and he draws on some
10:29unusual surfaces
10:31the most impressive of them all
10:33is a canvas you can't actually see
10:35swapping his paintbrush for his lightsaber
10:37the style is called light calligraphy
10:39blink and you might miss it
10:41because you're a calligraphy artist
10:43you know so you know
10:45but you have to know
10:47you know
10:49the word like there's no canvas
10:51it's over there
10:53so you have to know
10:55the moment you know
10:57you have to memorize your moment
10:59While art is subjective and preferences are personal
11:01Abdul says pushing creative
11:03boundaries is part and parcel of
11:05innovation
11:07they are criticizing the modern art
11:09contemporary art because
11:11the traditional calligraphy
11:13is rule-bound
11:15we have to respect that
11:17because we all learned traditional art
11:19then we move to the contemporary
11:21because we have to blend it
11:23so in terms of the criticism
11:25if you are not ready to face
11:27the criticism
11:29the art will not grow
11:31It's clear
11:33that even as Qatar thrives in the modern world
11:35and encourages creative minds
11:37to bring life to its public spaces
11:39the country is also
11:41committed to preserving and showcasing
11:43its story of origin
11:45we hope you've enjoyed this episode
11:47but that's all the time we have for now
11:49for more check out euronews.com
11:51and connect with us through our hashtag
11:53thanks for watching
11:55and we'll see you next time on
11:57Qatar 365