Arabesque exhibition in Jerusalem combines traditional and contemporary art

The ancient Islamic artistic style called arabesque is getting a reboot for the 21st century.

The geometric motif first appeared in Islamic art in the 10th century, in architecture, textiles, pottery and metal vessels.

Contemporary Arabesque, an exhibition at Jerusalem's Museum of Islamic Art explores modern interpretations of the iconic arabesque pattern created by local artists.

"Arabesque is a very common and significant ornament in the world of Islam. The exhibition examines what the artists did with their motifs and how they create and express their own personal voice through by using them in their art," said Tamar Gispan-Greenberg, a curator of the exhibition.

"This is the whole the point of the exhibition, the connection between the traditional and the contemporary," she added.

Arabesque is also popular in book illustrations, mostly in the Quran.

"Arab calligraphy was the basis of the design in traditional or religious art. It was also used for decorating mosques by taking parts from the Quran, or the Hadith, or for decorative vessels and other tools. Later, the geometric calligraphy was brought into Islamic art, and they used it in different ways, either with calligraphy or by using vegetation to decorate utensils. We see those decorations in mosques and on different types of carpets. This inspired contemporary artists to create new art inspired by ancient Islamic art," said Nadim Sheiban, a director at the museum.

The exhibition runs until April 7 at the museum which holds 5,000 pieces of Islamic art.

TRT World's Miranda Atty has more.