Opens today at the Courtyard Gallery, Al Quoz.
An exhibition of contemporary Persian & Arabic Calligraphy by Ali Shirazi. 

"Mastering classical calligraphy for over 35 years had given Ali Shirazi the skill to move forward and break boundaries by exploring new means to fulfill his creative desire. The preeminent brushes, which glide on his large canvases, are clearly come from his outstanding skill in traditional calligraphy.  Having exhibited in Total Arts Gallery for several occasions in the past, now he is back with his new collection of contemporary Persian and Arabic calligraphy.
Ali Shirazi is known as the best scripter of Nastaliq style of calligraphy in the world. His work has been extensively exhibited worldwide and been collected by major museums and private collections through Islamic world."
Picture
Read more about Ali Shirazi on his website
 
 
Today is Jean-Luc Godard's 80th birthday. To honour their hero, design studio Atelier Carvalho Bernau has created the Jean-Luc typeface which is available for free from their website

He is often considered the most extreme or radical of the New Wave filmmakers. His radical approach in movie conventions, politics and philosophies made him the most influential filmmaker of the French New Wave, inspiring directors as diverse asQuentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, Arthur Penn, Hal Hartley, Richard Linklater, Gregg Araki, John Woo, Mike Figgis, Robert Altman, Steven Soderbergh, Richard Lester, Jim Jarmusch, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Brian De Palma, Wim Wenders, Oliver Stone and Ken Loach.

"The typeface is based on the lettering used in the title sequences for the films. "We didn't find out who originally made the lettering for these two movies," they say. "Some speculate it could have been Godard himself – Godard's interest in graphic design and typography is clear, with many of his other films employing such strong typography-only titles and intertitles."
Read more on the Creative Review blog
 
 
Go see Viktoria Modesta tonight at the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen and while you're there, check out Jon Burgerman's contribution to the Hoxton Window Project- a sneaky way for some free interior design and self promotion by unit9 - excellent work chaps!

In the meantime, or if your in Dubai, watch this vid, I know a few illustrators here, what an inspirational and down to earth bloke, the last 'Sketch' event at JamJar was on 11st november... right, I must work on my website instead!
 
 
Check out 1973 for beautiful cards and prints. At only £2 for an Sanna Annukka card its a cheap way to decorate your home- too nice to give away!
Even the screen prints are only £70, they're going on the top of my christmas list...
http://www.nineteenseventythree.com
Picture
Picture