The Daily Heller, 16 Dec 2022.
A Master & His Arabic Calligraphy
Mahdaoui is widely known in the Arab world and has received much international recognition, including the Global Art Awards in 2017, the Grand Prize of Arts and Letters from the Tunisian Ministry of Culture in 2006, and the UNESCO Crafts Prize for the Arab States in 2005. In the United States, his extensive work is barely recognized; such is the compartmentalization of design, even in the age of the internet.
Still, his visibility is not to be denied. He has been honored as speaker and jury member at Sharjah International Arabic Calligraphy Biennial, the International Arts Biennial of Tehran, the Abu Dhabi Art Festival, and the International Jury of the UNESCO Prize for the Promotion of the Arts.