Iraqi Laborer Preserves Calligraphic Art

Iraqi calligrapher Wael al-Ramadan, 49, wipes the glass on one of his Arabic calligraphy framed art pieces at his workshop in al-Ashar district of Iraq's southern city of Basra on December 19, 2021. (AFP)
Iraqi calligrapher Wael al-Ramadan, 49, wipes the glass on one of his Arabic calligraphy framed art pieces at his workshop in al-Ashar district of Iraq's southern city of Basra on December 19, 2021. (AFP)
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Iraqi Laborer Preserves Calligraphic Art

Iraqi calligrapher Wael al-Ramadan, 49, wipes the glass on one of his Arabic calligraphy framed art pieces at his workshop in al-Ashar district of Iraq's southern city of Basra on December 19, 2021. (AFP)
Iraqi calligrapher Wael al-Ramadan, 49, wipes the glass on one of his Arabic calligraphy framed art pieces at his workshop in al-Ashar district of Iraq's southern city of Basra on December 19, 2021. (AFP)

When he is not hauling concrete blocks on a construction site in northern Iraq, Jamal Hussein devotes his time to preserving the gentle art of Arabic calligraphy.

Though he has won awards in numerous competitions, Hussein acknowledged that "you can't live on this", the artistic handwriting of Arabic script.

"I have a big family. I have to find other work," said the father of 11, who is 50 years old and earns his keep working on building sites in the Iraqi Kurdish town of Ranya.

Last week, the United Nations culture agency declared Arabic calligraphy an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity", following a campaign by 16 countries led by Saudi Arabia and including Iraq.

"The fluidity of Arabic script offers infinite possibilities, even within a single word, as letters can be stretched and transformed in numerous ways to create different motifs," UNESCO said on its website.

Abdelmajid Mahboub from the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society involved in the proposal to UNESCO said the number of specialized Arab calligraphic artists had dropped sharply.

Hussein is one of them, and he welcomed the UNESCO decision.

He hopes it will push "the Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdistan region to adopt serious measures" to support calligraphy -- "khat" in Arabic -- and its artists.

Practicing since the 1980s, his decades of experience and participation in competitions are attested to by about 40 medals and certificates displayed at his home.

In October he came second in an Egyptian online competition, and is now training for a contest next month in the Iraqi city of Najaf.

For decades, in the major regional centers of Cairo, Amman, Beirut or Casablanca, calligraphy was displayed on storefronts, on walls featuring popular sayings, or on plaques at the entrances of buildings to signal the presence of a lawyer or a doctor.

Today, the remnants of this calligraphy are only visible on the faded facades of old shops.

Still, nostalgia for the vintage aesthetic has become something of a trend, as hipsters of the region post pictures of their discoveries for their followers on social media.

But in impoverished, war-scarred Iraq, there is no support from the government "whether for calligraphy or for other arts," Hussein lamented.

"Because of technology, the sanctity of calligraphy has declined," he told AFP.

"Calligraphy requires more time, more effort and is costlier. People are moving towards cheaper technological production."

At the other end of Iraq, in the southern city of Basra, Wael al-Ramadan opens his shop in an alley.

A client arrives to inquire about the preparation of an administrative stamp used to confirm attendance.

Ramadan seizes one of his sharp-nibbed pens and starts again to practice the art which his father introduced him to when he was still a child.

On paper he slowly begins to trace the requested words, with Arabic letters distinguished by their elegant curves.

Like his fellow calligrapher Hussein, Ramadan applauds UNESCO for its "great support for calligraphy and calligraphers all over the world."

Ramadan earns money by teaching the discipline in schools but also sells his skill for advertisement purposes.

"We hope that the government will take an interest in this art, through exhibitions and competitions," said Ramadan, 49.

"The survival of Arabic calligraphy depends on the support of the state."

It depends, too, on the devotion of men like Hussein and Ramadan.

"I obviously hope that my children will succeed me, just like I followed in my father's footsteps," Ramadan said with a smile.



Labubu Toy Sculpture Sold for $150,000 at China Auction

A human-sized Labubu figurine is displayed before an auction in Beijing, China June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
A human-sized Labubu figurine is displayed before an auction in Beijing, China June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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Labubu Toy Sculpture Sold for $150,000 at China Auction

A human-sized Labubu figurine is displayed before an auction in Beijing, China June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
A human-sized Labubu figurine is displayed before an auction in Beijing, China June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch.

The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart.

They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power, AFP reported.

On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan ($150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app.

The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction.

It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan.

Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 US branches.

The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu.

Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus.

In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne.

Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported.

In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers -- an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports.

The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customize their dolls.

Knockoffs -- many of which are also made in China -- have flooded online platforms, dubbed "Lafufus" by social media users.