In cultures all over the world, calligraphy, which comes from the Greek for “beautiful writing,” dates back almost to the dawn of written language. Calligraphy is often considered a highly advanced art form and even a type of meditation, in addition to being a fancy way of writing. Various Latin or Roman-based, East Asian, and Islamic or Arabic scripts are used in modern calligraphy.
The Latin alphabet is used in the majority of modern calligraphy in the Western hemisphere. Large, highly elaborate capital letters characterize the Modern Gothic style, which evolved from medieval illuminated manuscripts. It has a lot of right angles and thick, bold lines. Italic calligraphy has a more straightforward elegance. It has thick lines that are slanted to the right and have upstrokes that are taller than the capitals.
Some people in Western society are now considering graffiti to be a form of modern calligraphy. Graffiti, which began as illegal street art, has evolved its own set of conventions and lettering styles, which many people regard as both creative and beautiful. Many artists are attempting to legitimize graffiti as an art form by painting on canvas or in public spaces with the permission of local authorities.
Extensive characters are frequently drawn on pottery, screens, and other pieces in calligraphy, which is an integral part of nearly all East Asian art. Calligraphy is taught in Chinese and Japanese schools as a form of communication as well as an art form. Modern calligraphy can even be considered a metaphysical practice among Buddhists of certain sects. Reading and writing calligraphic scripts is thought to be a form of meditation that connects modern and ancient calligraphers.
Calligraphy in modern Islamic styles has a long history. Because depictions of living organisms, particularly people, were prohibited under early Islamic law, artists turned to the written word as an artistic medium. Modern Islamic calligraphy is frequently written in Arabic, the Koranic language, but it can also be written in any other language spoken and read by Muslims. The Koran is frequently used as a source of inspiration for Islamic calligraphy.