Composition sur le mot al-Arabie (Composition of the Word "The Arab")

Among the very first visionaries to explore the aesthetic abilities of Arabic script was the Iraqi artist Jamil Hamoudi, a founding figure of Hurufiyya, which translates into Arabic Letterism. He produced this abstract composition in 1947, the same year he enrolled at Beaux-Arts de Paris (School of Fine Arts, Paris) to continue his studies through a government scholarship. During this period, Hamoudi disengaged from Surrealism, which had defined his early career. Instead, he drew inspiration from modern approaches to abstraction and his own Mesopotamian heritage.

In this artwork, which translates to “Composition of the Word ‘The Arab’”, Hamoudi expressed himself on both a personal and cultural level through new visual techniques. In a wide array of vivid colours, like yellow and green to pastel hues of pink and blue, he utilised the geometric nature of Cubism to experiment with the Arabic script. This piece signifies the beginning of Hamoudi’s attempts to delve into the world of Hurufiyya and further evolve his methodologies.