By Habib Toumi
MANAMA: Calligraphy enthusiasts flocked to the Arts Center in Manama for the opening of the “Expressions of Arabic Calligraphy” exhibition by world-renowned Chinese calligrapher Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang – an exhibition that transcends borders, languages, and artistic traditions.
The exhibition is a gathering of strokes and spirit, curated through the gifted hand of world-acclaimed Chinese calligrapher Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang, a man whose artwork impresses at the meeting point of civilizations.
Part of the International Day of Islamic Art celebrations organized by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), the exhibition is both a display of calligraphy and a meditation on beauty, heritage, and the soul of Arabic script. Here, calligraphy is not ink on paper; it is breath, rhythm, geometry, and prayer.
Held in collaboration with the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bahrain, the exhibition showcases the artist’s remarkable artistic skills, where the elegance of classical Arabic calligraphy meets the refined sensitivity of Chinese brushwork.
Forty-five artworks, inspired by Quranic verses, reveal a symphony of visual devotion and compositions that appear to float, spiral, and bloom with spiritual resonance.
“This exhibition reaffirms the importance of Arabic calligraphy not only in the Arab world, but also on a global scale,” said BACA President Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, reflecting on the universal power of the art form.
He noted that its inscription on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December 2021 is a global recognition of a cultural legacy that continues to inspire, evolve, and transcend.
Shaikh Khalifa highlighted the poetic symbolism of works rooted in Chinese aesthetics yet illuminated with Quranic calligraphy. The creations affirm the wide arc of Islamic art across the Asian continent.
“The presence of this distinguished international artist in Bahrain today reflects the strength of the cultural bridge uniting the Kingdom and friendly China, and echoes our commitment to deeper collaboration,” he said.
“It also underscores the significance of hosting international and world-class artists through the platforms provided by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.”
“The presence of this renowned international artist in Bahrain today reflects the strength of the ties that unite the Kingdom with friendly China, and aligns with our continued commitment to enhancing cooperation with the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
“It also emphasizes the value the platforms that the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities provides.”
Haji Noor Deen’s mastery of the Sini style reveals itself like a fine silk tapestry of line and meaning. His graceful elongated strokes glide like calligraphic silk across the page; circular forms unfurl like celestial orbits; interwoven compositions demonstrate the fluidity and expansive expressive range of Arabic calligraphy through a masterful Sini style. Each piece is a whispered dialogue between cultures: Arabic script spoken with the musicality of Chinese ink.
Alongside the exhibition, the artist is offering immersive workshops on “Sini Style: Aesthetics of Arabic Script in Chinese Brushwork” and “First Strokes: Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy” in which participants are invited to live the intimacy between hand, ink, and inner stillness.
Born in Shandong Province, Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang is not only an artist but a custodian of a rare cultural convergence. A scholar of Quranic manuscripts and historical Chinese Qurans, he earned his Ijazah in Arabic calligraphy in 1997 in Egypt, and in 2000 established a dedicated teaching department for Arabic calligraphy in Zhengzhou, China — planting seeds for a new generation of cross-cultural expression.
His works have appeared in prestigious museums around the globe — from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the National Museum of Scotland to the Harvard Art Museums. The British Museum proudly houses his celebrated masterpiece “The 99 Names of Allah.”
Honored among the World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims by Georgetown University and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan, Haji Noor Deen’s artistic legacy lies not only in his work, but also in the doors he has opened and where East meets East, and tradition meets reinvention.
