ISLAMABAD: A group show of calligraphy by four artists opened at Nomad Gallery on Saturday with 21 pieces on display, showcasing the spiritual association with the centuries-old art of decorative and ornamental handwriting.

Most of the pieces on display are by Azeem Iqbal, a self-taught calligrapher from Mian Chunnu. He has used the traditional Kufi style, as well as the Sulus or Thuluth style invested by Ibn Muqla Shirazi in the early 10th century.

In the early period of Islam, the Quran was written on leather and leaves, using many writing styles. Calligraphy, which has now become one of the most popular forms of art in the Muslim world, is adorned on the ceiling, exterior, and domes of mosques, shrines, buildings, and monuments of religious importance.

The calligraphic work of the four artists are fabulous and unique as they have not learned the art from a formal institute, said Nageen Hyatt, the curator and director of Nomad Gallery.

Mr Iqbal’s pieces on display included ‘Qul’ in mixed medium and collage on deer skin with gold leaf, ‘Surah Fateha’ in gold leaf manuscript size in watercolour, ‘Ayatul Kursi’ on handmade paper with gold leaf and watercolour,wasli beads collage tucked with pearl, quartz and lapis lazuli, ‘Ka’aba’ in wasli beads in watercolour, the first and opening pages of the Quran in wasli beads and ‘Surah Rehman’ in tea washes and watercolour.

“I studied extensively the history of the early period of Islam before starting calligraphy,” Mr Iqbal, the only artist who was present at the exhibition, told Dawn. He went on to say that he has been following the traditional style with a contemporary touch.

The use of traditional lines in mixed medium and collage by Mr Iqbal, the monochromatic colour by Zubair Mughal and the vibrant colours used by Mohsin Raza are amazing, commented Syeda Nadia Raza, an art teacher and coordinator of the International Watercolour Society.

Mr Iqbal has participated in over 40 national and international exhibitions of calligraphy and art festivals including the International ECO craft exhibition in Iran, the first exhibition on democracy in Parliament House and at Lok Virsa.

He has been teaching calligraphy in Rawalpindi Arts Council for the last 10 years and executed important projects including the moving wheel, the Pakistan Monument Museum and dioramas of Wakhi people, art, nature and calligraphy at Lok Virsa’s Heritage Museum, and the relief display at VVIP lounge at Nur Khan Airbase.

His paintings have been gifted by the Pakistan government to various heads of state including of Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Tajikistan.

Mohsin Raza and Zubair Mughal, self-taught artists from Faisalabad, have learned the art out of passion and not from any formal institute. They participated in a calligraphy competition in 2018 and were declared first and third respectively.

Mr Raza started wall painting, banner writing and billboard making in 2002 and participated in several national and international exhibitions. The two artists use Kufi and Sulus scripts in oil and acrylic on canvas.

Abdul Aziz Awan is a calligrapher and expert in Nastaliq Jali, Diwani, Kufi, Naskh, and Sulus who started out in 1999, and has participated in group shows at the international and national level.

The exhibition will run every day between 11am and 6pm until May 30 except for Fridays.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2019