ISLAMABAD: A collection of over 50 pieces of calligraphic art by Mohammad Azeem Iqbal was inaugurated at the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum on Monday.

The works, which came together over more than two decades, make use of various mediums including leather, woodwork, copper, precious stones and bone.

Mr Azeem said: “The inspiration for the work was the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). This Ramazan, I have tried to produce the work entirely as it would have been made in that era. That is evident in the materials and ‘canvases’ I have used – I have used all the same materials as a tribute and sign of my devotion.

“I source my materials from here, the leather, the wood, bamboo, etc. I also burn the wood and grind the stones to use. I find it meaningful to go back to the same techniques from where the Holy Quran was taught. I have also used the same form of calligraphy as was used in that time.”

Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Syed Ali Zafar was invited to the exhibition as the chief guest, and the Portuguese and Tunisian ambassadors were also in attendance.

Mr Zafar praised the quality of the exhibited work and Lok Virsa’s efforts to remain true to its mandate of identifying, recording, preserving, and promoting traditional arts, crafts and culture, and creating traction for those traditions amongst future generations.

He said: “Calligraphy is an ancient art for our country. This institute was created in 1974 and at that stage it was becoming hard to find artistic and oral traditions, and today we can find numerous incidents of different arts and crafts in the archives of Lok Virsa. With this exhibition and the many others that have taken place here, we can the talent and skill that finds space here.”

Mr Azeem’s calligraphy emphasises the sacredness and spirit of the written word with subjective aesthetics in pure oriental tradition. Using three dimensional techniques in wood, metal, gold, silver and leather, he creates his calligraphic works with an intense devotion.

Apart from his fascination with calligraphy, Mr Azeem also works on miniature, wood carving, relief work and other mediums to express himself.

Calligraphy is one of the most skilful of Islamic arts but it predates Islam, as it has been historically a way to pen down sacred texts in Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. In Islamic traditions calligraphies have found space on monuments, mosques and canvas, which creates continuity of traditions.

The diversity and range of the calligraphic art is such that there are over 300 styles of writing in South Asia alone, and there are myriad variations of each style. Calligraphy is the most highly regarded and most fundamental element of Islamic art and while the employment of calligraphy had a definite aesthetic appeal, it also has an underlying religious significance.

While speaking at the event, Mr Zafar recalled an incident from his youth when he realised calligraphy was a spiritual art.

“When I was 18 years old, I came home and there was a baramda in our house and there was sitting a dervish-like old man with a canvas in front of him. And it seemed like a spiritual practice. Later I discovered that it was Sadequain. We have produced many Sadequains and will produce many more – and we must nurture them.”

Lok Virsa paid tribute to the religious significance of Ramadan and the religious significance of calligraphies by inviting young singers to present three naats, Bhar do Jholi, Tu Kuja Man Kuja and Tajdar-i-Haram.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2018