This calligraphy is written in the style associated with Chinese Muslims. In this piece, 'Basmalah' is written to form a bird.Mr. Yusuf, Chen Jinhui, the renowed Islamic calligrapher in China, has been dedicated to the Arabic calligraphic art since his childhood. He has innovatively mixed the original Arabic oriented artistic skill with his uniquely personalised conception and calligraphic style based on the traditional Chinese Muslim and Chinese calligraphic features.Islam was first carried to China by Arab and Persian merchants via the overland and the maritime trade routes during the Tang dynasty.As calligraphy is an important art form in Islam as well as in Chinese culture, it is not surprising that the Chinese Muslims too practised the art. Chinese Muslims incorporated certain Chinese influence - for example, the use of a brush rather than the real pen as a writing instrument.
