Hassan Massoudy

Hassan Massoudy (b. 1944) was born in Najaf, Iraq, Hassan Massoudy is a globally celebrated calligrapher and artist known for his innovative approach to Arabic calligraphy. His work bridges the classical elegance of traditional script with the abstract vitality of contemporary art, crafting a dialogue between heritage and modernity. 

Refused admission to the Fine Arts Academy in Baghdad in 1961 for political reasons, he began working as a commercial Arabic calligrapher while harbouring aspirations of becoming a fine art painter.

In the 1960s, Massoudy left Iraq for Paris, taking up studies in Fine Art at the École des Beaux-Arts and making the city his home. This fusion of influences enabled him to create a distinctive style, blending the precision of traditional techniques with the expressive freedom of abstraction.

Reflecting on his philosophy, Massoudy states: “To imitate the aesthetic values of the old masters is only copying. The codes and techniques must be changed.” Massoudy’s creations are marked by their rhythmic flow, bold brushstrokes and emotive depth, embodying language as both a visual and symbolic medium.

His work transforms the act of writing into a dynamic gesture, celebrating the Arabic script’s versatility and expressive potential. Through vibrant compositions on large-scale canvases, Massoudy invites viewers to experience the written word as an emotional and visual phenomenon.

Massoudy’s pieces often address humanist themes of peace, tolerance and love, creating a timeless dialogue between tradition and innovation.

Massoudy’s works are held in prominent collections worldwide, including the Pergamon Museum, Berlin; British Museum, London; Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; Newark Museum, New Jersey; Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich; Stedelijke Musea, Gouda, Netherlands; Westfries Museum, Hoorn, Netherlands; Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman; Museum of Sharjah; King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan; and Musée du Quai Branly, Paris.

Massoudy’s solo exhibitions include: ‘There is a place on earth for everyone, Contemporary Script Art by Hassan Massoudy’, Pergamon Museum, Berlin (2021); Galerie Bertrand-Hassoun, Besançon, France (2020); ‘Médiathèque’, Chambray lès Tours, France (2018); ‘Breath, Gesture and Light’, October Gallery, London (2017); Galerie de L’Embarcadère, Montceau-les-Mines, France (2017); ‘Hassan Massoudy: Words, Breath, Gesture’, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York (2017); ‘Hassan Massoudy: The Calligrapher’, Gama Gallery, Istanbul (2016); ‘Words of Wisdom in Arabic Calligraphy: The Art of Hassan Massoudy’, Farhat Art Museum, Beirut (2015); ‘Massoudy Calligraphe’, Château de Ladoucette, Drancy, France (2015); and ‘Gestures of Light’, Abu Dhabi Festival, Ghaf Gallery and Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi (2012).

His work has also appeared in group exhibitions, such as: ‘Wondrous Worlds: Art & Islam through Time & Place’, US (2016-2019); ‘Frontiers Reimagined’, an official collateral event of the 56th Venice Biennale (2015); ‘Marked: Contemporary Takes on Mark-Making’, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2014); ‘Home and the World Part II’, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore (2013); ‘Written Images: Contemporary Calligraphy from the Middle East’, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2012); ‘Miragens’, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo, Brazil (2011); ‘Dance of Letters 2’, Haleh Gallery, Berg am Starnberger See, Germany (2011); ‘Espejismos’, Contemporary Art from the Middle East and North Africa, Museo San Pedro de Arte, Puebla, Mexico (2007); ‘Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East’, British Museum, London (2006); and ‘Written Worlds: Arabian Calligraphy and Literature in the Change of Time’, Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany (2004).

Massoudy lives and works in Paris, a city that has been central to his artistic practice and the birthplace of much of his iconic work.