East of east
Testimonial from Dr. Alalusi 东方之巅
In a country that almost reveres the art of the beautifully written word, it is not rare to find a calligrapher that possesses the talent and creativity inherent to the practice of Chinese calligraphy, an intuitive and freely flowing art form in which the way a word is written can convey as much meaning as the word itself. However, it is rare to find a calligrapher that marries the spontaneous, water-like quality of Chinese calligraphy to the measured cerebrality and refined restraint of Arabic calligraphy. The Chinese and Arabic calligraphic traditions have often been compared as the two of the world’s finest manifestations of the written word, but never likened; indeed, they are at once opposites and complements. When combined, the stunning simplicity of Chinese calligraphy softens the artistic deliberateness of Arabic calligraphy, while the Arabic informs the Chinese counterpart with its increased structurality. In the end, the result is calligraphy that blends the two greatest calligraphy traditions in an artistic piece that is a work of incredibly unique beauty, and a testimony to man’s synthesizing genius. Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang is such a calligrapher; trained by the finest schools and teachers that either tradition has to offer in both the ancient arts of Chinese and Arabic calligraphy, he brings immense learning in traditional thought and art to a modern audience and juxtaposes them in a calligraphic style all his own, both Eastern and Western. He is perhaps our new Renaissance man: versed in the classics, spanning cultures and times, outstanding in his field, and an embodiment of the pluralism our nation represents.
Endowed with not only intense intellect but also fantastic energy and the ability to convey his knowledge. Haji Noor Deen is one who is capable and ever willing to teach and impart his long perfected technique, as well as moral and material support; indeed, calligraphy is only secondarily a profession for him. First and foremost, calligraphy is an act of faith. Through this art form, he is free to render in ink an expression of conflated cosmologies, and guide a new generation of artist-scholars. By working to impart beauty under the completed guidance of faith, Haji Noor Deen leaves his mark on the world as a giver of incredible aesthetic beauty as well as the beauty of the moral excellence.
“God loves the beauty makers.”
Dr. Hesham Alalusi
President
California , USA, 2009