Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: September 26, 2023 | 
Arif Khan’s calligraphy
The art of calligraphy, believed to convey the beauty of the spoken word, dates back to ancient China during the Shang dynasty, becoming more common during the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). In West, its origin can be traced back to Phoenicia, later adapted by Greeks, Romans and Italians. Tradition of calligraphy emerged with Islamic culture during the 7th century with the advent of religion. Arab scholars, poets, and skilled artists used their talents to artistically display the word of God. With Islam, its calligraphy also spread from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa, Persia, Subcontinent, Central Asia, Far East, China and Eurasia. Over time, it became more sophisticated, stylized and complex as specific scripting and lettering styles called Khat were introduced. Figurative art is considered to be prohibited in Islam, and as a result calligraphy got a lot of attention and patronage in Muslim societies. However, the reverence and dedication with which Muslim artists continue to practice this art to adorn architecture, parchments and utensils remained unchanged.
In this spirit, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) arranged a calligraphic exhibition to commemorate the holy month of Rabi-ul-Awal, the month in which Muslims across the world celebrate the birth of the Holy Prophet. Th exhibition titled Mehar-e-Qalam (The Gratitude of Pen) was inaugurated on September 20th in Gallery No. 3 of PNCA by Mr. Jamal Shah, Minister for Culture and Heritage, and Mr. M. Ayoub Jamali, DG PNCA. Mehr-e-Qalam, a testimony to the tradition of knowledge and intellectual excellence in Islam, was a group show with six of the most prominent calligraphers from around Pakistan displaying their work. The artists whose work was on display included Mohammad Ashraf Heera, Shabbir Ahmed Zia, Muhammad Jamal Mohsin, Arif Khan, Aslam Dogar and Waseem Ashraf Wasi. Although Islamic calligraphy has many scripting styles such as Kufic, Nastaliq, Dewani, Sulus, Rayhani, Muhaqqaq, and Riqa, ‘Mehar-e-Qalam’ mainly portrays works of the artists in Kufi and Nastaliq lettering styles.
Minister Culture and Heritage Mr. Jamal Shah with other guests during the opening of the show
Kufic is a style of Arabic script that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration. Tracing its origins back to the city of Kufa, Kufic script is characterized by angular, rectilinear letterforms and its horizontal orientation with geometrical circularity. Nastaliq, presently considered one of the most widely practiced calligraphic style, was developed for Indo-Iranian languages, mainly Persian, Urdu, Kashmiri, and Punjabi. Nastaliq developed in Iran from naskh, beginning in the 13th century and its invention is mainly attributed to Mir Ali Tabrizi. In Nastaliq calligraphic style, generally the upright alif (ا) and lam (ل) are responsible for distinct verticality and rhythm of the text.
Jamal Mohsin has been practicing as an artist calligrapher for the last thirty years. He received his calligraphic training under Ibn-e-Kaleem, who is credited to be the creator of his own unique style of lettering in 1973 known as Khat-e-Ra’ana. Mohsin, running a school of calligraphy called Artpoint School of Calligraphy, has taught over three thousand students and has exhibited his work locally and abroad including a solo in Birmingham UK in 2012. At Mehar-e-Qalam, Mohsin’s perfectly symmetrical cubes remain distinct in their respective spaces showcasing the skill of the artist to create a geometric balance while channeling the energy of the divine script. A perfect display of skill, aesthetic and devotion, Mohsin’s work draws the viewer to itself and can almost transfix the viewer.
Muhammad Jamal Mohsin’s artwork
Another artist whose work particularly stands out at Mehar-e-Qalam is Muhammad Ashraf Heera. Born in 1991, Heera is a Pakistani calligraphy artist and academic. He received two diplomas in Arabic and Islamic calligraphy from renowned masters Al-Munji Ammar in Tunisia and Ghulam Rasool in Pakistan. He’s the founder and director of Ashraf-ul-Qalam Calligraphy Foundation, and recipient of the Presidential Gold Medal for his services to the art of calligraphy. Also, among his numerous accolades is an award by King of Saudi Arabia and a Certificate of Honor for excellence in the calligraphy of Quran by the Iranian government. He’s won awards at IRCICA and Cairo Islamic Calligraphy competition and many other honors. He has held solo exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, Turkey and Malaysia. Ashraf’s work in both Nastaliq and Kufic styles was on display at Mehar-e-Qalam. Ashraf balances his calligraphy with great aesthetic, and the manner in which the text has been embellished, gives his work a painting like effect. Nastaleeq calligraphy is known as the ‘bride of Islamic calligraphy’, and the possibilities and dimensions to embellish a Nastaliq text are boundless. Ashraf displayed his full range at Mehar-e-Qalam, and also held a workshop on calligraphy on September 21 at the PNCA for the artists and enthusiasts from the twin cities interested in learning this ancient art form.
Muhammad Ashraf Heera
Arif Khan’s stylized calligraphy pieces on canvas displayed at the exhibition employed mix medium. Arif uses pigment colours, oil paint and gold paste to create elaborate pieces with intricate details. Arif has developed his own unique manner of stylization, different from the prevalent and well-ordered scripting styles. Another of his pieces is on a thick handmade paper where he has experimented with paper carving, and his signature stylized calligraphy. Aslam Dogar is known for his sculpture like treatment of calligraphy as his subject. Aslam Dogar has worked for almost 30 years in the metal work industry, and his style of using three dimensionality in his calligraphic pieces is a clear indication of his keen observation of form, volume and depth as text appears to be projecting from its supporting background.
Aslam Dogar
Shabbir Ahmed Zia who is also a calligraphy instructor at the PNCA, also coined the title Mehar-e-Qalam for the exhibition. While some of his pieces are fluid and display his mastery on handling his qalam (bamboo pen, generally used by calligraphic artists) brilliantly, his Kufic pieces are what really absorb a viewer in how perfectly the geometrical text is composed in full circular pattern by repetition of the same text in dazzling gold. Zia also displays his calligraphy in F-9 Park of the capital every weekend for visitors, and carries a lifelong commitment to attract more talent and appreciation for this precious art form.
Shabbir Ahmed Zia
Besides its aesthetic value, experts believe that calligraphy stimulates neuronal activity, helping the viewer to concentrate for longer and more acutely, while increasing the tactile experiences. At a time when attention spans are becoming brief and focused on the sensational, exposure to calligraphy and the arts in general should be encouraged and promoted.
The exhibition will continue to be on display till September 26th.
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