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Al Kaabi--recU1TYLyedkRjTK2
Abstract Figures with Arabic Calligraphy - shown to scale
Saad Al Kaabi

Abstract Figures with Arabic Calligraphy

Estimated price$987 – $1,833

Graphic, Print Making

40 × 30 cm | 15.7 × 11.8 in

Certificate of Authenticity

A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a signed document verifying that this artwork is the genuine work of the named artist. For pieces from the Hindiyeh Collection, the COA is signed by the collection. For gallery- or artist-direct pieces, it is issued by the gallery or by the artist's authorized estate.

The COA includes the artist's name, the title, year, medium, and dimensions of the work, and is delivered with the artwork at the time of dispatch.

Rarity classifications

Unique
A one-of-a-kind work. No other version of this piece exists.

Limited edition
The artist or their estate produced a known, finite number of copies. The edition size is shown in the work's details.

Open edition
The edition run is ongoing. New works may still be produced in the same series, which may be numbered or made to order.

Unknown edition
The edition has ended, but the number originally produced is no longer documented.
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Shipping & taxes

Ships from Amman, Jordan. Hand-packed in a custom crate or rigid art-tube depending on medium and size.

Delivery (after handling): 5–10 business days within MENA, 10–18 to Europe and North America, 14–25 elsewhere. Larger or framed works ship via fine-art freight; timing confirmed by email after purchase.

Duties & taxes are excluded from the price. International buyers are responsible for any customs fees on arrival. Full export documentation provided.

Works leaving Jordan require an export clearance certificate, arranged on your behalf.

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About the work

Four ghostly human silhouettes emerge from a dense field of Arabic calligraphy in this richly textured etching, while a solitary seated figure in the foreground anchors the composition with quiet introspection. The warm sepia tones and layered mark-making lend the work a sense of ancient memory and cultural depth.

Saad Al Kaabi (Iraq).

Graphic, Print Making, 30 × 40 cm.

Part of the permanent collection of the Hindiyeh Museum of Arts, Jordan. One of a kind.

Medium
Size
40 × 30 cm | 15.7 × 11.8 in
Rarity
Limited Edition
Certificate of authenticity
Included
Genre
Colours
Brown, Grey
Location
Amman, Jordan

About the artist

saad al kaabi — Print etching, 15 × 15 cm (representative image)
Saad Al Kaabi

Iraq

Saadi Al Kaabi, born in 1937 in Najaf, Iraq, is a prominent figure among Iraq's second generation of modernist artists. He graduated from Baghdad's Institute of Fine Arts in 1960. In the 1960s, Al Kaabi's work experimented with Cubism and Expressionism, incorporating simplified planes and strong outlines. By the 1970s, he developed a signature style that fused elements of Cubism with motifs from Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Islamic art, exploring the complexities of the human condition. His paintings are characterized by thick layers of paint and earthy tones, creating highly textured compositions.

Al Kaabi has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the 1976 Venice Biennale. In the 1980s, he made a dramatic decision to burn his personal archive of press clippings, symbolizing a desire to start anew. Throughout his career, he has held various positions, such as Director of Theatre Production at the Cinema and Theatre Foundation (1981–1985) and Director of Artistic Culture at the Ministry of Culture (1985–1988). He also founded and led the Iraqi Plastic Art Club (1985–1987) and served as President of the Iraqi Plastic Artists Association (1986–1990). His contributions to the art world have been recognized with several awards, including the Golden Sail Award at the Kuwait Biennale in 1981 and the first prize at the Triennale India in 1982.

In 2006, Al Kaabi relocated to Jordan and later moved to the United States in 2008, settling in California. Despite his time abroad, his work remains deeply connected to Iraqi heritage, reflecting a continuous exploration of cultural identity and human experience.

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Printmaking

Images made by transferring ink from a prepared surface — etching, lithography, screenprint, woodcut — usually in limited editions. Iraqi artists such as Rafa Nasiri helped make printmaking a serious modern art form across the Arab world.
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Calligraphic Abstraction

Also known as Hurufiyya, this movement reimagines Arabic letters as pure abstract form — a defining current of modern Arab art that fuses centuries of calligraphic heritage with contemporary abstraction.
View more calligraphic abstraction artworks