Mouneer Al-Shaarani / Against the Grain: Exploring the Scope of the Arabic Letter

Mouneer Al-Shaarani is a prolific and highly acclaimed Syrian calligrapher and designer. He was born on September 6, 1952, in Salamiya, Syria. He began his calligraphic apprenticeship at a young age, with Syrian master calligrapher Muhammad Badawi Al-Dirani (1894–1967). After 1967, and in parallel with his studies, he practiced calligraphy as a sign-painter and created lettering for billboard advertising and other design commissions. He was part of the first graduating class from the Graphic Design program at the Faculty of Fine Arts (Kulliyat al-Funūn) in Damascus University, studying under eminent design pioneer Abdelkader Arnaout (1936–1992), graduating in 1977. This book sheds light on Al-Shaarani’s prolific graphic design practice and his unique visual language, tracing his serial migrations and their effect on his work.