I first met the distinguished artist and calligrapher, Tagalsir Hassan, when we were exploring the idea of launching a magazine dedicated to the diverse arts of Arabic calligraphy. From our very first encounter, I was struck by his profound engagement with the art forms many facets and intricacies. His approach uniquely blends artistic appreciation with academic rigor, bridging its historical depth with its future possibilities.

His artistic studies in Britain and his immersion in the Western art scene were profoundly influential, shaping both his creative journey and his scholarly contributions. As an artist, Tagalsir Hassan is an heir to the rich heritage of Arab-Islamic calligraphy, embodied in its major traditional schools. He has steeped himself in the seminal works of these venerable institutions, which has allowed him to masterfully fuse authenticity and modernity in his own practice.

In his classical work, he has masterfully rendered scripts such as Naskh, Thuluth, and Dewani within their established compositional frameworks. Yet, he has also pioneered a distinctive approach with new calligraphic forms, where he has re-imagined and adapted classical scripts like Thuluth, Kufic, and Dewani. He infuses these with a unique spirit and a style that is entirely his own, notably using a diverse palette of colors and inks to evoke the spirit and substance of each composition.

Furthermore, he has championed the Arabic letter in the crucial fields of typography and advertising—domains that suffered from decades of neglect and distortion at the hands of commercial firms and the rudimentary efforts of early software companies. He demonstrated this commitment by contributing to numerous influential cultural conferences and seminars.

The artist Tagalsir Hassan is worthy of the highest praise. He stands as one of the most significant contemporary Arab artists and calligraphers, one who has, with unwavering dedication and relentless energy, immeasurably enriched the landscape of Arab-Islamic calligraphy.