Alibaba Awrang discusses Islamic calligraphy, its origins and modernization

Mr. Awrang practices calligraphy, but not as we think of it here in the United States. His stunning works are illuminated paintings, using bright colors to create bold patterns, loosely in the form of Persian lettering. He taught this art for over 20 years in Iran and Afghanistan, and has shown his works in Pakistan, Iran, Bahrain, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. He was recently commissioned to do a large piece for the re-opening of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

In Kabul, Mr. Awrang served as head of the calligraphy department of the Turquoise Mountain Institute, a NGO founded in 2006 by King Charles III, formerly Prince of Wales, with the purpose of reviving historic areas and traditional crafts, to provide jobs, skills and the protection of heritage.