Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus
QUESTION 2. Islamic ornamentation relies on rhythm, repetition, and balance. What role does discipline or restraint play when you’re working within such structured traditions?
ANSWER 2. Precision in the repetition of ornamentation produces a cohesive, interconnected whole and a complete, balanced, and elegant form that expresses unity, which in turn creates integrated beauty.
Hála Badáwi Elsanósi Áhmed
Artist and Calligrapher
MEDIUM: acrylic, oil pastels, soft pastels, canvas, papers, ink
BIO: Hála Badáwi Elsanósi Áhmed is a Sudanese artist and calligrapher whose practice centers on Arabic calligraphy as both visual language and cultural expression. Working across acrylic, oil and soft pastels, ink, paper, and canvas, she explores the decorative and expressive potential of letterforms while continually refining her craft through study and practice.
A graduate of the College of Fine and Applied Art at the University of Sudan, Áhmed has pursued advanced training through Arabic calligraphy centers, university courses, and workshops with professional calligraphers, including specialized instruction under Taj Alsir Hassan. Since 2022, she has maintained an independent calligraphy practice alongside previous roles in educational and cultural institutions.
Her work extends beyond the studio into community-focused projects, including murals for children’s spaces, mosque posters, medical awareness materials, and creative contributions for orphanages. Guided by patience, endurance, and a commitment to self-development, Áhmed’s work reflects a deep respect for tradition paired with a personal, contemporary voice.
**Artist bio compiled and edited with the assistance of ChatGPT, based on the artist-provided curriculum vitae (English is not this artist's native language)
About AI art in my opinion: Artificial intelligence is merely a tool, not a means of expressing the internal experiences that a human being lives through, so the human art is only expressed by human.
FACEBOOK: Hala.Alsonosi
QUESTION 3. You describe your practice as honoring authenticity while pushing contemporary boundaries. What does “innovation” mean to you when working with deeply rooted cultural forms?
ANSWER 3. I produce new artworks that move beyond the familiar nature of ornamentation and calligraphy, transforming conventional compositions and integrating them into structural forms, resulting in new shapes through their fusion with portrait art.
QUESTION 1. In calligraphic and Hurufist works, letters carry meaning beyond language. How do you approach a letter as both a spiritual symbol and a compositional shape?
ANSWER 1. I translated my Arabic language from sound into art and into the letter, as it is the voice of the soul.
The Modern Women, 2023, ink , 16.53×23.39 inches
All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Hála Badáwi Elsanósi Áhmed.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.
CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL VIEW
CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL VIEW
CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL VIEW
The Women of Flowers ,2023, ink, 16.53×23.39 inches
The Man of Plant , 2023, ink , 16.53×23.39 inches