'Hassan Massoudy's calligraphies are arranged to loosely follow the seasons, beginning and ending with autumn: sombre, wintry hues at one end, brilliant tones full of vibrant reds at the other.' Dr. Venetia Porter, The British Museum; 'Veritable written landscapes.' Liberation; 'A feast for the eyes and balm for the soul.' Telerama; 'The triumph of this inspirational book is ultimately Massoudy's, who not only selected the texts, but created the exquisitely beautiful compositions.' Maria Golia, The Middle East; 'In bright, broad strokes mingling with inventive, intricate shapes, Massoudy describes the garden's four seasons with sayings from some of the artists who have inspired him.' Banipal

Hassan Massoudy was born in Najaf, Iraq. He moved to France in 1969, where he studied at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His work has been exhibited throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and is in the permanent collections of the British Museum and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, among others. Nineteen books of his calligraphy have been published in France, along with his autobiography, 'Si Loin de l'Euphrate: Une jeunesse d'artiste en Irak'.