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Between Heaven and Earth

Khaled al-Saii

  • WhereMedbay (Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar)
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Between Heaven and Earth 1

Installation view of Between Heaven and Earth by Khaled Al-Saii at Medbay (Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar), 2013. Photos by Qatar Foundation.

Between Heaven and Earth 2
Between Heaven and Earth 4

About the art

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Between Heaven and Earth is a large-scale calligraphic painting by Khaled al-Saii that explores knowledge as a layered and expansive concept. Drawing on the symbolism of nature, the work replaces the single tree, often used to represent knowledge, with a forest, suggesting diversity, depth, and limitless horizons. Executed in greenish-blue tones inspired by the natural world, the composition uses Thuluth and Naskh scripts to create a visual rhythm in which most letters are intentionally unreadable, allowing meaning to be felt rather than directly deciphered. Through this approach, the work emphasizes the expressive beauty of Arabic calligraphy as a visual language rather than literal text. Khaled al-Saii is a Syrian artist, modern calligrapher, and curator, widely regarded as a pioneer of contemporary Arabic calligraphy. His practice merges calligraphy with abstraction, poetry, and natural forms, creating works that move fluidly between visual and musical rhythms. Al-Saii has exhibited extensively in major museums and institutions worldwide, including the British Museum, the Pergamon Museum, and the Denver Art Museum, and has received numerous international awards for his contributions to modern calligraphic art.

Dimensions
1200.5 x 157 cm
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Category
Farmless Artwork

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