Islamic calligraphy has influenced art far beyond the Muslim world, often in surprising ways.
Pseudo-Arabic in medieval European art
From roughly the 10th to 15th centuries, Arabic script appeared on luxury textiles, ceramics and metalwork traded into Europe. European artists admired these patterns, and Italian Renaissance painters sometimes painted decorative “pseudo-Kufic” borders, imitating Arabic letters, on the robes and halos of figures in religious paintings.
Textiles, ceramics and trade
Silks and ceramics from Islamic Spain, Egypt and Syria carried calligraphic bands that were copied by European workshops, spreading the visual language of Arabic script.
Modern and contemporary art
In the 20th century, artists across the Arab world and beyond, sometimes grouped as the Hurufiyya movement, combined Arabic letters with modern abstract painting. Today, calligraphy-inspired art appears in galleries, fashion and architecture worldwide.
A universal visual language
Even for people who do not read Arabic, calligraphy is admired for its rhythm, balance and movement, which is why it works so well as wall art in any interior.
Bring calligraphy home: explore our Islamic calligraphy wall art, made in aluminium in Ras Al Khaimah and delivered across the UAE. Read our guides on calligraphy phrase meanings and where to hang Islamic wall art.
