M. J. Alhabeeb - Painting Vs. Calligraphy

Painting Vs. Calligraphy

In addition to being a classic calligrapher, Alhabeeb is a contemporary painter. Unlike many of his colleagues; painters who utilize the shape and style of the Arabic letters and words, and calligraphers who borrow some of the painting methods and styles, Alhabeeb does not mix calligraphy with painting. He treats them separately as independent genres, each with its own tradition and style. His calligraphy stays close to the classic Arabic and Islamic old school, which is free of any painting techniques. On the other hand, His painting has been described as Neo-cubism for borrowing and utilizing many of the cubists’ techniques. He worked as a graphic designer for many years, and won the first prize in three different national contests for designing postal stamps. He has published numerous articles on art theory and philosophy, and recently released a book in Arabic entitled “Art, Creativity, and Freedom”.