Arab-Andalusian latticework seduces me with its intricacy, just like its Celtic counterpart.
Which one was first?
Celtic ornament seems to have its origins in the Oriënt; but the most beautiful examples of Islamic interwoven patterns are a lot more recent.

In some of my drawings, I try for a seamless transition between Islamic and Celtic knotwork:
Blue window and Celtarabian Triangle are messages of harmony expressed in a combination of Celtic knotwork and Arab geometrical patterns. Green window creates an evening atmosphere. (The original drawing is against a white background. )

In the imaginary world of Celtarabia there is also a place for king Arthur.
Here I portrayed him as a Celtic sun-symbol in the middle of a tile that combines Islamic geometrical structures and Celtic knotwork and keypatterns.
It is one of my oldest drawings, and one I keep liking a great deal.

My New Year’s message for the new Millennium was called "Es-Salaam", meaning Peace in Arab. It was the first time I incorporated Arab calligraphy in the knotwork.

I tried to suggest ““ by splitting the ribbon, but finally it is the colouring that makes the word readable.

Still enthralled by the beauty of knotwork both Celtic and Arab I made "Peace - Greeting", another peace-message. The Pseudo-Kufi calligraphy around the knotwork is, again, Es-Salaam, which means "Peace" but also is used for greeting someone.

 

The carpetpages in the medieval manuscripts still inspire awe with their inimitable, meticulously executed illuminations.

With the next two works I tried to reproduce at least something of this richness.
I made two mantra's, endlessly repeating themselves: the Celtic one saying "There shall be peace on Earth", it's Arab counterpart "Ya s-salaam fi d-duniya", meaning about the same:

In the Celtic version I only used Celtic elements: Celtic knot- and plaitwork; even the peace dove has its wing and tail interwoven in the ancient Celtic style. With the Arab mantra: rectilinear, geometric Arab patterns and stylised leaves in the same style as the ornamental friezes in the Alhambra.


The peace dove here is not really a representation of a living creature: it can be read as a calligraphic rendering of :

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This symbolic work is based upon a scene from the movie 'Imuhar' by Jacques Dubuisson.
A Touareg grandfather scratches the Tifinagh signs for 'water' in the sand and teaches his grandson that the same characters also stand for 'life': Aman iman, water is life, a universal truth.
The drawing consists of a labyrinth made from Celtic keypatterns around a centre of motifs used in Tuareg leatherwork.