By day a professor of resource economics at UMass-Amherst, MJ Alhabeeb has another side that’s as colorful as his day job sounds drab—he’s a crafter of brilliant pictures and symbols that range from the traditionally beautiful to the poignant. His work is featured this fall in the UMass-Amherst Student Union Art Gallery in a show entitled Enchanting the Eye: Arabic Calligraphy and Art of MJ Alhabeeb.
Born in Iraq in 1954, Alhabeeb has practiced the art of classic Arabic calligraphy, including the scripts of Thuluth, Kufi, Diwani and Jeli-Diwani, Ta’aleeq, Naskh, and Riq’ah, for 30 years. He’s also built a respectable portfolio of graphic design illustrations and paintings that burst with vibrant hues, neo-cubist shapes and, at times, starkly political themes. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, books, logos, posters and calendars, and he is a three-time winner of contests to design U.S. postal stamps. Occasionally he offers summer classes in calligraphy that are open to the local community.
Exhibit: Through Nov. 14; calligraphy demonstration: Nov. 6, 5 p.m., Student Union Art Gallery, 416 Student Union, UMass-Amherst, (413) 545-0792.