Fidel Charaf.

With religious restrictions on various forms of artistic expressions, including music, sculpting and painting, calligraphy became the Islamic art. The walls, columns and domes of the world’s biggest mosques are decorated by skillfully crafted words and sentences.

Lebanese American artist Fadel Charaf is presenting bible verses and quotes by Jesus in Arabic calligraphy and wants to compile his work in a book. Each page will have an English and French translation of the content.

Charaf said using Islamic art to feature Christian sayings is an attempt to open the door for artistic dialogue.

“I want to emphasize the harmony and coexistence between the followers of the two religions, which came from the same divine source,” he said. 

He said each page of the book will be a separate work. 

Charaf, a Muslim who attended a Christian school in his Lebanese hometown of Machghara, said he was used to attending mosques and churches in his childhood.

The artist said to treasure calligraphy, there is no need of knowing Arabic because the aesthetic of the work is visually intriguing. 

“Calligraphy transcends cultures and languages, like singing and music,” he said. “People can appreciate a good song even if they can’t understand its lyrics.”

Charaf started practicing his craft at a young age. He was self-taught. 

To check out Charaf’s work go to www.artbyfadel.com. You can also contact him at:

info@artbyfadel.com.