Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial Opens 12th Edition, Balance
12th Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial – Balance
October 7 – November 15, 2026
Sharjah, UAE
The Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial opens its 12th edition on October 7 under the theme Balance, bringing together 272 artists from the United Arab Emirates, the wider Arab region, and around the world. Organized by the Cultural Affairs Department of the Sharjah Department of Culture, the Biennial presents 681 works alongside a program of 93 exhibitions, workshops, lectures, seminars, and other events across Sharjah.
Founded in 2004, the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial has created an international meeting point for calligraphers, artists, and researchers while exploring both the traditions of Arabic calligraphy and its place within contemporary artistic practice. The Biennial brings together classical approaches to the art form with new uses of the Arabic letter across visual and contemporary art.
For its 12th edition, Balance takes its starting point from a principle at the heart of Arabic calligraphy. The form depends on proportion, order, and precision, with the dot traditionally used as the basic unit through which the dimensions and curves of letters are measured. Balance also shapes the relationship between letters and empty space, as well as between calligraphy and ornamentation.
The Biennial expands this idea beyond measurement to consider balance as a wider artistic concept. Across traditional, modern, and contemporary approaches, participating artists explore the possibilities of the Arabic letter while considering the relationship between form and space, writing and ornament, heritage and contemporary expression.
The scale of the edition extends across Sharjah. Its 26 exhibitions will take place at Calligraphy Square, Sharjah Art Museum, House of Wisdom, University of the Arts Sharjah, 1971 – Design Space, and other cultural and artistic spaces. Artists from countries including the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, Oman, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Italy, Tajikistan, Sweden, China, Canada, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Germany, Turkey, and Indonesia take part.
At the Sharjah Art Museum, a group of exhibitions approaches calligraphy from different perspectives. Al Hilya Al Sharifa presents the traditional hilya through different calligraphic styles, while Balance explores the flexibility and expressive potential of the Arabic letter. Pioneers focuses on the heritage, techniques, and forms of classical Arabic calligraphy. Other exhibitions connect calligraphy with photography and contemporary visual practices.
At House of Wisdom, In Balance: From the Dot to Meaning brings together works by Sheikha Khawla bint Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Khalifa Al Shimi, Hamid Al Saadi, and Khalid Al Jallaf. The exhibition follows the Arabic letter from the dot as its first unit of measurement through to the formation of letters, words, and sentences, exploring how proportion and balance shape both form and meaning.
The Biennial will also honor three figures for their contributions to Arabic calligraphy: Emirati calligrapher Ali Al Hammadi, Moroccan academic and calligraphy specialist Belaid Hamidi, and Egyptian calligrapher and visual artist Khalifa Al Shimi. Solo exhibitions at Calligraphy Square will present selected works from their practices throughout the Biennial.
Alongside the exhibitions, an extensive public program will open up different ways of engaging with calligraphy. 61 workshops will introduce audiences to its techniques, forms, and practices, while lectures and an international symposium at House of Wisdom will bring together artists, academics, and researchers. Titled Arabic Calligraphy Between Authenticity and Global Leadership, the symposium will consider both the history of the art form and its changing place within contemporary culture.
Across its many exhibitions and programs, the 12th Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial presents calligraphy as both a living artistic tradition and a field that continues to change. Balance brings these perspectives together, creating space for different generations, approaches, and cultural contexts to meet through the written form.
The 12th Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial – Balance takes place across Sharjah from October 7 through November 15, 2026.
