AL YAMANI DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE KUFIC SCRIPT, WHICH DATES BACK TO THE SEVENTH CENTURY. LIKE MOST HISTORICAL CALLIGRAPHIC STYLES, THE KUFIC STYLE EMERGES OUT OF TRADITIONS OF QURANIC TRANSCRIPTION AND DISTINGUISHES ITSELF THROUGH ITS ORNAMENTAL STYLE. IN MY ATTEMPT AT ECHOING THE RICHNESS AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS SCRIPT, I HAVE DRAWN ON A MYTH SURROUNDING FIGHTERS BEARING YEMENI DAGGERS, JAMBIYA. IT IS SAID THAT IN SPITE OF THEIR HEAVILY ORNATE STYLE, THESE DAGGERS WERE ONLY BROUGHT OUT IN MOMENTS OF EXTREME CONFLICT AND COULD NOT BE PUT BACK UNLESS BLOOD HAD BEEN DRAWN. THE BOLD AND COMPACT STYLE, AS WELL AS THE CURVES OF UPWARDS- OR DOWNWARDS-FACING LETTERS ARE ALL MEANT TO ECHO THE LOOK OF A DAGGER. FURTHERMORE, THE USE OF DROPLETS IN THE PLACE OF ORDINARY CIRCULAR I’JAM (OR NUQAT, THE DIACRITIC POINTS) INDICATES BLOODSHED. THE EVOCATIVE IMAGERY I HAVE CHOSEN TO USE DO NOT SERVE TO CELEBRATE NOR ROMANTICISE VIOLENCE. HOWEVER, IT IS A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF HISTORICAL RITUALS THAT WERE FOUNDED ON NOTIONS OF HONOUR AND JUSTICE.
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