Interfaith calligraphy exhibition to be held in Cambridge

Artists Joumana Medlej, Michel D'Anastasio and Maaida Noor will showcase their work at the Woolf Institute in Cambridge.

The exhibition will include Muslim, Christian and Jewish texts from three contemporary artists inspired by their different backgrounds.

The Woolf Institute was set up to encourage tolerance and understanding between the different faiths.

Joumana Medleg is a British-Lebanese artist best known for her expertise in early Arabic calligraphy Kufi scripts, while Maaida Noor is influenced by her British and Pakistani roots and has collaborated with commercial clients including Christian Dior and The Body Shop.

French artist Michel D'Anastasio discovered part of his family was of Jewish origin in 2004 and is now a specialist in modern Hebrew calligraphy.

He works with Hebrew letters, using contemporary techniques including taking photographs of his work in different lights
Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner, executive director of the Woolf Institute, said part of its mission was "to educate national audiences on the interlaced nature of the three Abrahamic traditions".

Christianity, Judaism and Islam are known as the Abrahamic faiths because they all recognize Abraham as their first prophet.

She added: "Although The Written Word focuses on the liturgical languages of Judaism and Islam, it highlights that Arabic was an important mode of communication for Christian Middle Eastern communities too.

The exhibition will run from 12-26 June, 2022.