About
The School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation is a new specialised art school in Fujairah, UAE under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Alsharqi.
The school offers a number of workshops and various programs dedicated to the traditional arts of the book that include calligraphy, ornamentation, gilding, miniature painting and bookmaking crafts.
These courses are open to adults interested in learning these artistic skills from anywhere in the world.
Fujairah is a beautiful city overlooking the Indian Ocean and surrounded by mountains, which makes it the perfect destination for an artistic escape.
The School’s Mission
The aim of the School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation is to revive the traditional practices that produced extraordinary manuscripts in the past especially in the Islamic lands. We will be delving into the history and the practical skills to enable our students to reproduce and create beautiful manuscripts while keeping the tradition alive for generations to come.
School Departments
The school has five departments with a range of experts: calligraphy, ornamentation, gilding, miniature and bookmaking crafts.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is an integral part of Islamic art and it is the centre stage of the arts of gilding and ornamentation. The school specialises in Arabic calligraphy and a range of fonts such as Ruqah, Diwani, Kufi, Thulth and so on.
Ornamentation
This department will provide students with understanding of biomorphic (Nabati) and geometric patterns that will be done with a combination of freehand skills and by using a compass and straightedge.
Gilding
Miniature
Bookmaking Crafts
Bookmaking crafts are a big part of the process in making beautiful manuscripts and this department will cover the various stages of bookmaking from bookbinding to making leather covers.
The Team
School Director
Dr. Esra Alhamal
Dr. Esra Alhamal is an educator, artist and podcaster. She completed her PhD in Architecture with a speciality in Islamic Nabati patterns from the University of East London. She has been exploring patterns for ten years and she enjoys studying and painting them.
