Samir Sayegh: “Calligraphy is the art of abstraction par excellence”
Lebanese thinker, poet, and art critic Samir Sayegh is also one of the undisputed masters of contemporary Arabic calligraphy. In an attempt to liberate calligraphy beyond the meaning of each letter, he uses geometric forms to develop a universal language. His work, influenced by the minimalism of modern art, is exhibited by major international institutions such as the British Museum (United Kingdom) and the Barjeel Art Foundation (United Arab Emirates).
1 July 2025
Interview by Nicole Hamouche
Journalist in Beirut
How did you get into calligraphy? Was it an obvious choice?
I came to calligraphy in two stages: first as a child, thanks to teachers who thought I had beautiful handwriting and encouraged me, and I began to take a closer interest in the discipline. I consulted the Al Mounjid dictionary, where I found a page by calligrapher Fouad Estephan on Arabic calligraphy, its different styles and formats. I started imitating them.
I realised just how great an art form Arabic calligraphy was, conveying a philosophy different from that of the West
Later, I returned to calligraphy when I was an art critic, studying in particular the modernity of Arab heritage. I was researching Lebanon and the Arab world in general. That’s when I realized just how great an art form Arabic calligraphy was, conveying a philosophy distinct from the Western tradition that spans from ancient Greece to the 20th century. When I realized that Arabic calligraphers were mainly interested in its ornamental dimension, I decided to devote myself to it also, and couldn't stop.
Where do you work? What does a typical day look like for you?
I work from my home in Gemmayze, a traditional Beirut neighbourhood, in a separate area set aside as my studio. I get up at daybreak and make myself a coffee. My wife and I listen to music and the daily news, and then I get down to work. I always have some paper to hand so I can jot down whatever comes spontaneously to mind. In fact, you could say I have a second studio – my imagination. Indeed, before I can draw a letter, I must first see it in my mind. For this, I need to be lying down, or have my eyes closed.
What are your sources of inspiration?
They are many and mysterious. Sometimes they spring from ancient sources from the depths of time. At other times, inspiration comes from a flower, a herb, books, photos or dreams. It’s the fruit of constant contemplation.
Inspiration can also come from world events that strike me indirectly. For example, my work on Anchored/ancestral cities was born out of my reflection on the wars witnessed in recent years by ancient Middle Eastern cities such as Mosul, Aleppo and Beirut. The pain I felt at the sight of this destruction led me to use predominantly black ink and abstract forms to express the silent cry within me.
My inspiration also stems from the laws of geometry, balance, symmetry and perfection in form.
How would you define calligraphy for someone who knows nothing about this art? Can we call it a language?
Calligraphy is an art of form. Ibn Mouqla, one of the greatest calligraphers of the Abbasid caliphate, who lived in the 10th century, defined it as a discipline characterized by both the beauty of form and the correctness of letter position. He applied the laws of geometry to this art.
Calligraphy played an even greater role in the Arab world because the language was not written. Its purpose was not writing, but rather to give form to inspired speech. When this art evolved, it created a language in itself, born of the diversity of forms that make up Arabic letters. But when these shapes are organized in a certain order, they create a visual language that is accessible not only to those who speak Arabic, but also to everyone else, because the language of shapes is universal.
Y您也是一位詩人。寫作和書法是如何互相滋養的？
在我的經驗中，我身上並沒有詩人和書法家之間的二元對立。書法和詩一樣，源自於一種內在的、與生俱來的衝動。因此，這兩種表達方式之間的關係和諧，甚至可以說是充滿愛。
我的第一本詩集出版後，由於戰爭及其後果，我停止了寫作。貝魯特被孤立和摧毀，沒有人再閱讀或出版作品。那是一個詩無處容身的時代。所以我全心投入書法。
後來，當我開始教授平面設計和字體設計時，我開始寫關於書信的詩，我稱之為《書信回憶錄》，彷彿它們是鮮活的生物，可以轉化為詩意的符號。
您很早就體現了一種現代性。這在您的作品中是如何體現的？
我的閱讀和實踐使我能夠將書法與寫作的功能區分開來。書法的本質首先是美學，源自於形式和幾何。但這個想像形式的世界遠比字典裡的世界廣闊得多。
書法的本質首先是美學
現代性，由西方知識文化圈所傳達，源自於藝術世界。它尤其透過抽象藝術得以體現。書法正是一門卓越的抽象藝術。它並非對存在之物、我們所見之物的簡化，而是對我們未見之物的體現。
我越成熟，就越能擺脫過去遺留的影響，擺脫規則和習俗。事實上，我越能擺脫這些規則，就越能趨向於一種現代性。
書法在哪些方面具有普遍性？
它之所以具有普遍性，是因為它是一種基於幾何和形式的視覺藝術。當它與觀者相遇時，無需理解文字的含義，它便擁有了完整的意義。與中國書法一樣，阿拉伯書法並非試圖翻譯現實。它旨在呈現藝術家的體驗，表達他與自身、與生活，或與所謂的世界隱密秩序之間的衝突。兩種書法都基於形式和圖像。然而，兩者的技法——中國使用毛筆，阿拉伯世界使用蘆葦或羽毛——有所不同。ou are also a poet. How do writing and calligraphy feed each other?
In my experience, there is no dichotomy between the poet and the calligrapher in me. Like poetry, calligraphy emanates from an inner, innate impulse. The relationship between these two modes of expression is, as a result, harmonious, almost amorous.
After the publication of my first collection of poetry, I stopped writing because of the war and its consequences. Beirut was isolated and destroyed, and nobody read or published anymore. It was a time when there was no place for poetry. So I devoted myself fully to calligraphy.
Later, when I started teaching graphic design and typography, I began writing poems about letters, which I called Memoirs of Letters, as if they were living creatures that transformed themselves into poetic symbols.
Very early on, you embodied a form of modernity. How is this translated in your work?
My reading and practice have enabled me to separate calligraphy from the function of writing. The essence of calligraphy is above all aesthetic, arising from form and geometry. But this world of imaginary form is far more vast than that of the dictionary.
The essence of calligraphy is above all aesthetic
Modernity, conveyed by the educated and cultural circles of the West, spread from the world of the arts. In particular, it manifested itself through abstraction. And calligraphy is an art of abstraction par excellence. It is not a reduction of what exists, of what we see, but an embodiment of what we don’t see.
The more I mature, the more I free myself from influences inherited from the past, from rules and customs. In fact, the more I emancipate myself from these rules, the more I tend towards a form of modernity.
In what ways is calligraphy universal?
It is universal because it’s a visual art based on geometry and form. It takes on its full meaning when it meets the viewer’s eye, without the need to understand the meaning of the words. Like Chinese calligraphy, Arabic calligraphy does not seek to translate reality. It seeks to render the artist’s experience, to express his conflict with himself, with life or with the so-called hidden order of the world. Both calligraphies are based on form and image. The techniques, however – the use of brushes in China, reeds or feathers in the Arab world – differ.
與中國書法一樣，阿拉伯書法並非刻意追求對現實的詮釋。
在日益數位化的世界裡，書法還有一席之地嗎？年輕人是否還對這門古老的藝術感興趣？
為了回答這個問題，我想先將書法與印刷術和平面設計區分開來。數位文字具有精確的功能，與書寫息息相關。而書法則關乎美學，是一種擺脫了功能性束縛的藝術。
我認為書法在當今的數位環境中依然具有其現實意義，我可以充滿信心地說，當今的年輕藝術家們對書法推崇備至。他們常常將其視為一種充滿魔力的藝術形式，對他們而言意義非凡。在當今的阿拉伯世界，我們正在見證新一代書法家的崛起。他們的數量或許不多，但他們對這門藝術懷有雄心壯志和熱情，並且勇於嘗試。我全心全意地支持他們。
Like Chinese calligraphy, Arabic calligraphy does not seek to translate reality
In an increasingly digital world, is there still a place for calligraphy? Are young people still interested in this ancient art?
To answer this question, I would distinguish calligraphy from typography and graphic design. Digital letters have precise functions, linked to writing. Calligraphy, on the other hand, is a matter of aesthetics. It’s an art freed from function.
I think that calligraphy retains its relevance in this digital environment, and I can say with confidence and conviction that today’s young artists hold it in high esteem. They often see it as a magical art form, with meaning for them. In the Arab world today, we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of calligraphers. They may not be numerous, but they are driven by ambition and a passion for this art, and don’t hesitate to experiment. I support them wholeheartedly.
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