Master strokes in calligraphy at Dubai International Holy Quran Award

Noureddine's masterpieces featuring two verses from the holy Quran have left the audience awestruck.

Dubai — The Islamic & Arabic calligraphy exhibition held on the sidelines of the 19th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award saw a magnum opus by  renowned Emirati calligrapher Narjes Noureddine. Noureddine, born in Abu Dhabi in 1975, is one of the most gifted Emirati female artists, and her calligraphy strokes speak volumes of her talent.

Her masterpieces featuring two verses from the holy Quran have left the audience awestruck.

The exhibition is being run in collaboration with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) where the international competition is taking place until Ramadan 18.

Noureddine currently lives in Dubai where her home is her workshop and gallery. She is always found in calligraphy art exhibitions across the region.

Narjes graduated with a diploma in financial studies and worked in the banking sector until 2006 after which she decided to devote herself to the art of Arabic calligraphy. All set to quench her thirst for this art, Narjes is now studying internal design engineering at the college of arts.

She started her journey with this art in the Sharjah Institute for Arabic Calligraphy in 2000. She was later offered space in The Calligraphers’ Studios, where she met popular calligraphy artist Khaled Al Saai who guided her to the secrets of the art leading her to be honoured with a prize from the Sixth Int’l Calligraphy Competition of IRCICA - Istanbul - 2004.

Narjes travelled to Istanbul in 2006 to continue studying the Thuluth style under masters Hassan Chalabi and Davut Bektash. She also travelled to Tehran in 2007 to learn the Nastaliq (Farsi) style at the hands of Master Abbas Akhawain.

Narjes has held many open calligraphy workshops for the public in different events. She participated in several local calligraphy exhibitions organised by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, Sharjah Governments, and other local parties since 2001. She has also dazzled international audiences in Germany, China, Japan, Austria and Lebanon.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE