12 October 2004	Tuesday	26 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: A unique exhibition of calligraphy in ceramics and pottery by well known artist, Dabir Ahmed, was inaugurated at 'The Art Gallery' on Monday evening.

Dabir, who graduated from the National College of Arts (NCA) in 1966 and then adopted a teaching career at the same institution from 1976 till the time he retired as the Head of Ceramics Department in 2003, has given a new dimension to the traditional art of calligraphy.

He has used the clay as the medium and, being an artist, played with it employing his skills and imagination to create a series of pieces of calligraphy that would attract viewer's complete attention.

"It is a different medium but the field, the creativity behind what has been produced and displayed here, are the same. It is a bit technical, involving the knowledge of science as we need to use paints which would behave the way we desire at the extreme temperatures of kilns during the baking process," Dabir said.

He said he was teaching at the design department before moving on to the ceramics department. He said working with paints on paper or canvas is not much different from working with clay.

"In fact, I feel playing with clay is more exciting. You can mould it, see the things you want to create taking shape and then if you don't like what is transpiring, you just squeeze it back to a lump of soft clay and start employing your creativity on it afresh, till the time you are fully satisfied," Dabir said.

However, he admitted, clay has its own limitations and properties which one doesn't encounter while working with colours and canvas. "But I would say ceramics is the oldest form of art and craft still found intact in the museums of history all around the world.

There are ancient pieces of pottery and tablets with figures and inscriptions, some of those dated thousands of years back in history, displayed in museums. So, it is the most sustainable form of art which has endured the changes of thousands of years," Dabir said.

He said he started indulging in calligraphy only a few years ago. "Say, it was just five or may be six years ago. I thought of entering into this particular form of art, calligraphy in clay, as I thought I could it in a better way then the others. So, here I am with my works displayed here for you to see and judge," he said.

Since he developed this passion to play with clay, Dabir has set up three kilns at his home where he sweats out, trying to mould the putty into what he has in mind and then see it go through the arduous process involving a series of baking, painting and baking till the time he is fully satisfied with the outcome.

"It is so exciting to work in this field. One is not sure till he/she has the final form in hand and is fully satisfied with it. Opening the door of kiln is the point where you come to know if what you have been doing over all those days and hours has materialised into something or has just gone bust. It is very, very tiring and hectic job," Dabir said.