A 3-D artwork featuring a tree with leafs bearing the 99 names of Allah is capturing the attention of visitors at the exhibition on the ‘History and Art of Arabic Calligraphy’, being held under the auspices of ‘Hamdan Bin Mohammed National Knowledge Initiative (1971)’ at the Dubai Mall.

The exhibition features paintings by calligraphers from the UAE and the Arab and Islamic world, said a statement.

The 3-D artwork created by prominent Iraqi artist and calligrapher Sabah Al Arbili depicts a tree with overlapping branches that have leafs carrying the 99 names of Allah, in a very distinctive and creative way.

The artwork is made of acrylic and is offered for sale for $5,000, it said.

A British artist of Iraqi origin, Al Arbili is considered an ambassador of the art of Arabic calligraphy in Western countries, particularly Britain.

Al Arbili, who won one of the highest awards at the first edition of the ‘Ramadan Forum for Qur'anic Calligraphy’, is keen to participate in various specialised events in this area in Dubai, out of his belief in the value of the role played by the emirate in promoting the presence and spread of the art of calligraphy globally.

His works have been exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions and he has won a number of awards and recognitions and is often invited as an expert adviser in the art of calligraphy, and several of his artworks and stainless steel sculptures are displayed in prestigious locations around the world.

Some of his works have been chosen to be included in the permanent gallery of the Islamic Museum of Australia as well as of the United Nations. - TradeArabia News Service