Islamic Calligraphy & Book Arts

Exhibitions

Through December 2017

Skillman Library
College Hill, Easton, PA

Community, Literacy, and Activism in Islamic Africa: The Paintings of Yelimane Fall

The calligraphic art of Yelimane Fall, a Senegalese artist and community activist, whose work reflects a vibrant West African aesthetic featuring large curvilinear Arabic letters, robust forms, and bright colors.

“Breathe for Those Who Cannot”: Remembering Al-Mutanabbi, Street of Booksellers

In March 2007, a car bomb tore through the heart of Baghdad’s historic literary district. Named after a 10th-century Iraqi poet, Abu al-Tayyib Ahmad ibn al-Husayn Mutanabbi, this street on the lip of the Tigris River has been described as Baghdad’s “third lung, where the educated and students breathe.” This exhibit features recent works by book artists wishing to commemorate and celebrate the spirit of the Al-Mutanabbi Street community.

Contemporary Artists’ Books Inspired by Islamic Cultures

Works from Lafayette’s rare book collection selected because of the ways they connect with Islamic cultures. Included are the work of photographers Peter Bogardus, Steve McCurry, and Steven Verona documenting people and events in Senegal, Afghanistan, and Egypt respectively. Egyptian book artist Islam Aly is represented by four small, but highly dramatic works and Senegalese artist Abdoulaye Ndoye by a remarkable, unique volume filled with his invented calligraphy. Other works look at the Muslim immigrant experience in America and the effects of war on Iraqi women.