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Arabic Calligraphy

Calligraphy is one of the most versatile, disciplined and rich practices of Islamic art, and has rooted itself as a highly respected tradition in Islamic culture. Islamic calligraphy has paid tribute to the Arabic language, the revered language of the holy Quran; thus it is not only a form of writing but also a form of spiritual expression. Al Burda Award has long recognized masterful work of both classical and modern Islamic calligraphy, embracing the traditional, contemporary, and typographic.

Categories & Criteria

Classical Arabic Calligraphy

The traditional Arabic calligraphy category focuses on the artistic practice of handwritten Arabic script. Artists are required to creatively integrate both Thuluth and Jali Thuluth scripts in their compositions.

 

  • The theme of the work must reflect the focus of the Al Burda Award and its theme for this year, which is "Al-Noor".  Artworks that do not adhere to this theme will be disqualified. 

  • The artist must employ a combination of regular Thuluth and Jali Thuluth scripts on a sheet not exceeding 100 cm in Height and 80 cm in width, and it must contain the following Quranic text: ({يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ * يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنِ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ} Surah Almaedah – Verse 15 & 16

  • The use of treated (Ahar) paper is required for the work, and the calligrapher has the freedom to choose the appropriate  pen size for the artistic composition of the work. 

  • The calligrapher has the freedom to use the appropriate ink colors for the work in accordance with his artistic vision. 

  • Linguistic and spelling accuracy must be adhered to in the writing, and in the event of Qur’anic errors in terms of vowels or forgetting some words, the work will be excluded from judging. 

  • The work must not contain the artist's signature. If a signature is present, the work will be disqualified from judging. 

  • The artist must write their name and reference number on the back of the artwork. 

  • The artwork should be sent in a securely packaged roll and must not be framed. 

prizes
  • 1st Prize: 70,000 AED
  • 2nd Prize: 50,000 AED
  • 3rd Prize: 40,000 AED
  • 4th Prize: 30,000 AED
  • 5th Prize: 20,000 AED

 

Contemporary Arabic Calligraphy

The modern Arabic calligraphy category seeks to showcase the artist's creativity in using Arabic letters and script inspired by verses from Imam Al-Busiri's "Al-Burda" poem.

  • The theme of the work must reflect the focus of the Al Burda Award and its theme for this year, which is "Al-Noor," inspired by the verses from Imam Al-Busiri's "Al-Burda" poem: " فَإِنَّهُ شَمْسُ فَضْلٍ هُمْ كَوَاكِبُهَا ... يُظْهِرْنَ أَنْوَارَهاَ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الظُّلَمِ︎""
  • The artwork dimensions must be 150 x 150 cm, and canvas must be used for the work.
  • The artist has the freedom to choose the types of pigments, materials, colours, and various scripts.
  • Traditional calligraphy in its various forms and other innovative scripts can be used as complementary parts of the artwork, but not as the primary focus.
  • Linguistic and orthographic accuracy must be maintained in the writing.
  • The work must not contain the artist's signature. If a signature is present, the work will be disqualified from judging.
  • The artist must write their name and reference number on the back of the artwork.
  • The artwork should be sent in a securely packaged roll and must not be framed.
prizes
  • 1st Prize: 70,000 AED
  • 2nd Prize: 50,000 AED
  • 3rd Prize: 40,000 AED
  • 4th Prize: 30,000 AED
  • 5th Prize: 20,000 AED
Typographic Design

The typographic design category encourages experimentation, innovation, and creativity in contemporary typographic design. This involves arranging the shapes of Arabic letters and text using digital Arabic fonts and scripts. The competition focuses primarily on the aesthetics of composition and design, inviting participants to explore creative interpretations of traditional Arabic script forms and generate new shapes inspired by verses from Imam Al-Busiri's "Al-Burda" poem.

  • The poster design must reflect the focus of the Al Burda Award and its theme for this year, which is "Al-Noor (light)," containing the verses from Imam Al-Busiri's "Al-Burda" poem: فَإِنَّهُ شَمْسُ فَضْلٍ هُمْ كَوَاكِبُهَا ... يُظْهِرْنَ أَنْوَارَهاَ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الظُّلَمِ︎""
  •   ↵Submissions can be abstract representations of letter forms and do not need to be legible as long as they are expressive. The use of illegible letter forms must be justified in the written description or submission title. 
  • The typographic submissions should include one printed poster. 
  • The artist has the freedom to choose the poster dimensions, but it must not exceed 100 cm in Height and 100 cm in width. 
  • Submissions should not consist of logos or typographic patterns unless they are part of a comprehensive visual composition. 
  • The artwork must be submitted electronically by uploading it through the submission form on the award's website. 
prizes
  • 1st Prize: 70,000 AED
  • 2nd Prize: 50,000 AED
  • 3rd Prize: 40,000 AED