Saudi Gazette Arabic calligraphy has flourished throughout history as an art form that adds value and beauty to literature. With the recent advent of digital technology, the craft of handwritten letters has been superceded by smileys, abbreviations and slang. The sad demise of calligraphy prompted some passionate graphic designers to resurrect the classical craft. Najla Bassam, 25, has a passion for Arabic calligraphy and typography, a skill she developed in her teens. Bassam established her own graphic design company called Haya Studio to do what she likes the most, typography. Inspired by her late grandfather to study Arabic typography her work is influenced by typographical greats such as Pascal Zoghbi, Tarik Atrissi and Iranian designer Reza Abidini. For those new to the discipline, calligraphy is the study of letters as art is hand-drawn whilst typography is the study of type. The latter is computer-based and deals with fonts from a publishing standpoint. With the advent of desktop publishing and the Apple Macintosh in particular, typography has become part of the mainstream across the world. Bassam's type comes mostly from old Qur'anic scripts, which she believes holds many beautiful calligraphy styles. At the other end of the spectrum she also keeps a la mode with urban typefaces ranging from graffiti art to branded logos. Recent innovations both technological and theoretical have contributed to a renewed reverence for classical forms. Bassam is trying to mix modernity with tradition through her “29 letters in 29 days” project. The idea is very simple — pick a letter from the Arabic alphabet, be creative and post the results on various social media platforms. “I posted my ideas on Instagram and Twitter where I received instant feedback. So far four people have voluntarily joined the account,” she said. __
