As its name suggests, Difaf (meaning “shores”) serves as a meeting point between the art scenes of two major cities, deeply interconnected through history and occupying a pivotal space in the region’s creative movement.
Opened on 1 October at 37 Mohamed Mazhar Street, Zamalek, Difaf’s first exhibition in Cairo, named “Sutoor” (Lines), features Lebanese artist Samir Sayegh.
Sayegh’s work explores his unique approach to haiku poetry. Using a Chinese ink stone, he liberates language and reveals the space between what is visible and what is hidden. With him, viewers witness calligraphy and the word coming together to transform into light and shadow.
This exhibition is part of Difaf’s first cycle of exhibitions, Khutoot (a different word for “Lines” but can also mean writing styles or fonts), which brings together three artists from the cities of Beirut and Cairo, linked by calligraphy but separated by visual language.
In “Sutoor”, Sayegh presents his personal approach to haiku. Using a Chinese inkstone, he gives the word different shades,
liberates language, and reveals what precedes its formation. At a blank moment, he traces a path between transparency and mirrors to a place beyond consciousness.
Sayegh strips the word of its singular meaning, and positions himself at a point between what is visible and what is hidden, what can be read and what is abstract. With him, we witness the coming together of calligraphy and the word, language and poetry, until they turn into light and shadow. The exhibition is on until 2 November.
Born in Lebanon in 1945, Sayegh lives and works in Beirut. He is a poet, calligrapher, art critic, writer, and researcher, with numerous studies and articles on contemporary and Islamic art. Between 1993 and 2007, he taught at the Department of Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut. He has exhibited his calligraphic works across several Arab countries and designed pieces for buildings and mosques.
Recognised as one of the most prominent contemporary Arab calligraphers, he was honoured at the first Sharjah Biennial of Arabic Calligraphy. He is the author of Islamic Art: A Contemplative Reading into Its Philosophy and Aesthetic Characteristics, and has published several poetry collections and critical studies. Since 2010, he has collaborated with Plan BEY, pushing the boundaries of the art book, art prints, and multiples.
Difaf’s first exhibition in Beirut “Maktoob” (“Written”) presents artists Walid Taher and Mariem Abutaleb. Difaf’s Beirut branch is located in Jacaranda Building, Mar Mikhael.
Opened on 24 September, “Maktoob” explores the use of written signs and symbols in both public and private spaces. Taher’s work takes us to the streets to explore makeshift calligraphy in public spaces, while Abutaleb’s pieces bring us to the intimacy of the self, translating inner thoughts into personal talismans.
The exhibition will remain on view until 23 October.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 October, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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