Calligraphy not as an art form, but as performance art.
Fawaz Al Jalaud has been a calligrapher for as long as he can remember. Coming from a family of artists, he grew up surrounded by pens and papers with a special connection to letters.
It all started with calligraphy classes in the fourth grade, almost 30 years ago. “You can learn anything you want, but talent gives you the passion to do it and you don’t realize that you’ve got the talent until people acknowledge it,” he said. His friends and teachers began to ask him to write their names, so he created art for events at his school and soon earned the title, “The Calligrapher.”
Al Jalaud enjoys writing people’s names the most, although, he admits that the feeling he gets now is not even half of the pride he used to feel back at school. “I firmly believe that this is the fruit of the seeds that were planted in me back then.”
Fast forward to university in the USA, where Al Jalaud began to miss the attention and the motivation to create art. He then turned to a random classmate and asked to write his name for him. It didn’t take long for the reputation to return. He started performing at events and festivals at his university. “People prefer the performance. They don’t even look at the paper, they look at your face – they want to know how you do it.”
Since he never studied calligraphy officially, Al Jalaud still prefers to use the tools he started with back in fourth grade. “That’s why I can perform anywhere because I can use any tools and any kind of paper.”
Al Jalaud’s constant drive is to represent his country and return the support of his family. “I sign my work with my family’s name to thank them for everything they did for me. As for my country, I am grateful to be able to represent it doing what I love. There is no feeling like showing the world we have a culture that we are proud of.”
“I want to especially thank the Sharqiya Council, with their leader Princess Abeer, for their support and for contacting me to perform at international events.”
Al Jalaud draws his inspiration for everything he does through the power of peace. “Peace inspires me and art is the language between nations. Art is also a message from God, the Greatest Artist, the Creator.”
Instagram: faj79