We have been interviewed by Radical Middle Way!

http://www.youtube.com/user/lahdgallerylondon

Light calligraphy artist Julien Breton

Completely self-taught and unable to speak Arabic, the French artist Julien Breton has developed his own unique form of virtual calligraphy, based on a Latin-style alphabet and inspired by an Arabic and Eastern aesthetic. With a multi-cultural take on calligraphy, Breton’s work incorporates the cultural identity and style of East and West, often taking inspiration from western philosophy, hip hop and street art.

He works with calligraphy with the desire to transcend the very meaning of the sentence to generate a clean aesthetic – a balanced form that stands out from the arbitrary letter composition that makes up a word or phrase. His lack of knowledge of codes, rules of calligraphy enabled him to detach himself from any coercion and rules. That allowed him to mix styles with the desire to create a universal language, without barriers or code.

Despite not being able to speak Arabic, Julien Breton he says that everyday brings him closer to the language and culture.

Julien's works will be displayed at Lahd Gallery until December 14, as part of the exhibition 'Arabic Calligraphy: The Art of The Written Word'.

Don't miss Lahd Gallery's current exhibition 'Arabic Calligraphy: The Art of The Written Word'

On October 20 2011, Lahd Gallery opened its first calligraphic art exhibition in London featuring several artists from around the world. The exhibition traces the art of calligraphy to its historical origins and explores how it has developed into an exacting craft of high aesthetic sensibility.The participating artists come from varied and diverse backgrounds: Abdallah Akar and Julien Breton both from France, Madny Al Bakry from Oman, Shukor Yahya from Malaysia, Hamid Nasir from Pakistan and India born Said Adrus residing in the UK . From an early time, calligraphy became the most important art form in the Middle East, connected to all aspects of its rich and immense cultural heritage. Across several centuries, the Arabic character has been the sphere of continuous innovation and this subtle art form has further transformed into some of the contemporary forms that are seen today.

Arabic Calligraphy: The Art of The Written Word demonstrates how the different artistic styles unify a common thought as a reflection of human culture. Calligraphy is an art that is not only visually appealing, but it contains a strong message as well. The underlying essence of Arabic calligraphy remains in the power of the words and offers a strong link to its rich early heritage.

Lahd Gallery has teamed up with Fashion ComPassion, the premium ethical fashion house which supports and empowers marginalised and underprivileged women from Asia and the Middle East. A range of limited edition bags and jewellery inspired by the art of calligraphy at the exhibition is shown.