Nja Mahdaoui was born on 1937 and is a Tunisian artist known for his use of calligraphy as a graphic art form.
11 Facts About Nja Mahdaoui
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Nja Mahdaoui has often been described as a 'choreographer of letters.
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Nja Mahdaoui initially studied painting and art history at Carthage National Museum, but later, encouraged by the director of the Italian Cultural Centre in Tunis, studied painting and philosophy at the Santa Andrea Academy in Rome.
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Nja Mahdaoui later moved to Paris to go to the Cite internationale des arts, where he attended courses at the Ecole du Louvre.
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Nja Mahdaoui began his career as an abstract painter in the 1960s, then continued by experimenting with Arabic calligraphy.
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Nja Mahdaoui produced his first paintings on parchment in 1972, he became interested in weaving and carpet production in 1979 and he began to paint on animal skins and on the human body in 1980.
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Nja Mahdaoui is of a generation of Arab artists who studied abroad but sought inspiration from their traditional roots.
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Nja Mahdaoui focused on the poetic quality of Arabic text, and invented a graphic style involving calligraphic works.
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Nja Mahdaoui has created monumental stained-glass windows for public buildings in the United Arab Emirates.
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Nja Mahdaoui followed his love of music, costume, and performance by using different media to apply his 'calligrams' to a wide range of objects such as large denim hangings, musicians' costumes, and a bass drum.
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Nja Mahdaoui has participated in both solo and group exhibitions worldwide.