ISLAMABAD: Satrang gallery on Wednesday opened a new solo show of exquisite calligraphy by Hafiz Saeed.

Titled Jehaan-e-Saeed the show is a homage to the ancient and intricate tradition of calligraphy.

According to the organisers, calligraphy or khushkhati was a part of most cultures and languages. It was deeply embedded in Islamic traditions, perhaps because of the emphasis on writing, reading and seeking of knowledge. The Ottoman, Persian and Mughal dynasties celebrated and explored the practice of calligraphy, and held it in high esteem.

Eventually different styles of calligraphy became identifiable. Despite the changing methods and scripts, calligraphers continued to adhere to the strict guidelines, including the geometric proportion to the Arabic letter which was measured by Alif.

Director of Satrang gallery Asma Rashid Khan said Hafiz Saeed Ahmed had a distinct signature style. “His soulful works describe the concept of devotion. Saeed was originally trained as a miniaturist and worked in the contemporary thuluth style. His work was particularly striking since he created intricate representations of visual patterns.

“His script encapsulates movement, rhythm and vibrations. His art practice is inspired by abstraction within nature, organic structures and the presence of fluidity within scripts,” Ms Khan said while describing the artist as a contemporary and one of Pakistan’s preeminent calligraphers whose artworks were on display in some of the most prestigious museums such as the University of British Columbia, through its Museum of Anthropology - 2022 and private collections.

He started off as a Hafiz of the Holy Quran before dedicating a decade to studying calligraphy under the tutelage of Gohar Qalam in Lahore. He used the wisdom of writers, poets, and philosophers from around the world to convey messages of peace.

Over the past nine years, his artworks had continuously been some of the most popular ones as he had a nearly perfect blend of deeply-rooted classical training combined with a generational artistic talent, producing many of the present time’s most iconic calligraphy compositions.

“When one thinks of calligraphy, the first words that come in mind are preciseness, distinctness, measure, and beauty. Calligraphy is the tongue of the hand, the delight of the conscience, the ambassador of the mind, the inheritor of the thought, the weapon of knowledge, the companion of an absent friend, the converser with them over long distances, the depository of secrets, and register of events,” the artist told his guests visiting his show.

The artist, penned each Arabic letter hoping to improve his flow with the kalam and seems to have turned his hobby into an occupation that fortifies his faith and at the same time proves to be a reliable antidote to stress and sullenness.

He describes calligraphy as a “living tradition that had the capacity for self-renewal enabling, him to adopt a contemporary approach while remaining true to his artistic heritage and the many years of study, linking him to the calligraphy masters of the past”.

In 1999-2007, Hafiz Saeed Ahmad was awarded a degree in calligraphy from Lahore. He got a diploma in miniature in 2005-2006 from Naqsh School of Arts, inside Bhatti gate. Since 2007, he has been teaching calligraphy at National College of Arts (NCA).

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2023