In a country where words are formed by the Latin alphabet and frosty winters chill his bones, Kareem Jabbari revived the art of Arabic calligraphy in Canada, a country very far from his own homeland of Tunisia. 

Arabic calligraphy gave Kareem Jabbari the opportunity to experience a new social life after a bleak childhood marked by loneliness. Now 35 he has devoted his life to spreading appreciation about Arabic calligraphy in non-Arabic speaking in countries. He has also begun Tunisia’s largest mural in his hometown of Kasserine, in the west-central part of the country.

In a country where words are formed by the Latin alphabet and frosty winters chill his bones, Kareem Jabbari revived the art of Arabic calligraphy in Canada, a country very far from his own homeland of Tunisia. 

Arabic calligraphy gave Kareem Jabbari the opportunity to experience a new social life after a bleak childhood marked by loneliness. Now 35 he has devoted his life to spreading appreciation about Arabic calligraphy in non-Arabic speaking in countries. He has also begun Tunisia’s largest mural in his hometown of Kasserine, in the west-central part of the country.

Can you introduce us to the Kareem Jabbari, the calligrapher?   

I was born in June 1978. Arabic calligraphy is my profession and I live in Canada. I became a calligrapher by self-made efforts without learning calligraphy in schools or universities. 

Why did you become a calligrapher? Were you fond of calligraphy when you were young? 

I did not live a normal childhood. When I was 12 years old, my father was accused of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group, an accusation that was much worse than the charge of treason during the days of Ben Ali.  My father escaped to Algeria after he underwent all kinds of torture by the political police.

My family remained without any supporter or provider and my mother faced all kinds of difficulties to provide for us and offer us good educational opportunities. With my father being accused of such a charge, no one dared or had the courage to come and visit or make any relations with a family “whose portion is wrath”. 

Solitude became my only true friend and I didn’t change even when I went to Kef to continue my education. My father’s “wrath” continued to chase me wherever I went.  In my solitude I discovered that I had a passion for advertising banners and I turned this passion into something of value. This is how I slowly started to excel in Arabic calligraphy. 

What did Arabic calligraphy bring to your life in this period?

My colleagues discovered my talent in calligraphy and I started to make friends. My knowledge of Arabic calligraphy was one of my strengths, which helped me change a past characterized by solitude into a future full of friendships – though most of my friendships were based on personal interests – and a new and interesting life for me.

My relationship to Arabic calligraphy, however, did not continue when I started my university education.  Like most of the other young people, I was tempted to participate in sports and I became fond of basketball. Being a member of a sports team gave me what Arab calligraphy did. I had many friends in this sport and an entertaining social life different from the old days. 

How did you return to Arabic calligraphy after this interruption?

In 2000 I went to Canada after getting a scholarship. I had forgotten about calligraphy, the blessings it offered me and how it made me a social being.  I lived with my sister and then I married a Tunisian woman and we had two baby girls.

One day, in 2004, I was with a group of my friends chatting together in a coffee shop in Montreal. One of my friends spontaneously said: “Your life will not be full if you don’t practice a profession which you love.  Search inside your heart for the thing you love and make it your profession and you will find happiness.” 

My heart started beating rapidly and I felt as if it was talking to me.  Like a lover who is cheating on his beloved, I remembered calligraphy, my first passion. 

For one whole year, I continued to go to museums and galleries and to read magazines and newspapers in the hope that I would find what I was looking for. I was looking for a gateway to make Arab calligraphy an entry point to international understanding, especially when I realized that many Tunisians who live in Canada are not proud of their Arab identity.  I felt it was my duty to honor the Tunisians by introducing a new spirit into Arabic calligraphy. 

With my self-made efforts, I didn’t limit myself to Arabic calligraphy. I went to my friend al-Sayyed (a Tunisian from Qabis who lives in Canada) to study the basics of the art of graffiti.

You have produced universal artwork. Can we talk about this work? 

I participated in many art events such as the “Abu Dhabi Art Exhibition,” and the “Dubai Art Exhibition,” which is one of the biggest art events in the Middle East. I also participated as a lecturer in the Innovation Forum of 2013 in Dhahran in Saudi Arabia where I gave a lecture entitled “The Recharging of Arabic Calligraphy’s Momentum.” I presented a film as part of my lecture talking about my own artistic experience. 

I am currently drawing the longest mural in Tunisia (215 meters long and 4 meters high in Kasserine City). I will also soon participate in activities in South Africa and Kuwait, in addition to my contribution to an art convoy in Saudi Arabia.

What added value did you bring to Arabic calligraphy?

I didn’t confine myself to traditional calligraphy but I added to it a new art called “photosynthesis calligraphy.”  I am using modern techniques to make the calligraphy art appreciated by this generation. Calligraphy for many young people is boring and needs patience and a long time to learn it. This has made me think of a new technique to make calligraphy appreciated by young people and this is why I opted to use photosynthesis to address young people’s desires.  

I personally hate random writing on the walls and in my opinion it is better to use the arts to disseminate ideas.  For this reason, I am intending to establish a Tunisian association concerned with the art of Arabic calligraphy.