Saad Othman contracted polio when he was two years old. Yet he has managed to pursue his passion in calligraphy for almost 40 years, using only his left hand.
The Halifax artist was busy answering curious customers’ questions about his paintings and his calligraphy pieces at the Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, where the Grand Eid festival took place.
His art is colourful and attractive, so people stopped by to look at his paintings and read his calligraphies.
He used markers and pens to create small calligraphy pieces for each customer as a gift.
Othman uses his left hand in writing. His right hand doesn’t work properly due to polio, but he puts it on the paper to prevent any movement.
“I struggle a lot when working,” Othman told The Chronicle Herald. “It’s impossible to write using my right hand.”
His small gifts are either a customer’s name written in skilful and artistic manner, or a small drawing of a family tree with names on its leaves.
“I love to write people’s names, especially kids, and give it to them for free, so they can see the beauty of the Arabic writing,” Othman said.
“Many of them grow up here and they don’t know how to write their names in Arabic.
“I feel happy when I do that,” he said.
Arabic calligraphy is important for him because it’s a reflection of his Arab culture and heritage. Quran verses, Arabic poetry and proverbs are the most common materials for this art.
“It’s an important part of our culture ... people should learn it.”
Othman’s journey with the visual arts started in 1980, when he was living in Mosul, a city in northern Iraq famous for its calligraphy traditions, that go back almost 14 centuries. There he learned the art of calligraphy and developed his skills.
He fled Iraq to Jordan in 2002 only a few months before the American-British invasion. In Amman, he kept working as a painter and calligrapher until he moved to Halifax in 2009 with his family.
He has three children and they all go to schools here.
Othman is well-known in Halifax’s Arab community. He used to be the imam of the Centre for Islamic Development mosque. He volunteers now to help with community services that Halifax mosques provide.
He is also a vocal musician. His speciality is a sort of Arabian a cappella called nasheed, a popular singing form throughout the Islamic world.
Since moving to Halifax, Othman has participated in many gallery shows and festivals. “I have now more than 100 paintings at home, and I want to make more,” Othman said. “I want to participate in more galleries, festivals and bazaars.”
He also wants to transfer his skills to the next generation. “I hope that Arabic and Islamic schools run calligraphy classes,” Othman said.
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