ISLAMABAD: Satrang Gallery continued its tradition of showcasing calligraphies in the month of Ramazan.
The group exhibition, Hurouf, featured works by master artists, Gohar Qalam and Rasheed Butt, and relatively young prodigies, Bin Qulander and Arif Khan. With the essential objective of calligraphic work remaining the somewhat simple concept of conveying through text a word or phrase, different ages and regions have left their mark on the potential of calligraphy as creative art.

Hurouf managed to bring together diverse styles, scripts and decorative elements to have something to appeal to every spectator.

Asma Rashid Khan, Director of Satrang, said: “The artists in Hurouf have a distinct signature style and have specialised in khushkhati or beautiful writing.”

Said Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt, said: “It is exceedingly important for us to promote the art of Pakistan so that it becomes well known all over the world. Part of that endeavour is that we, institutions like Satrang, help make the younger artists of Pakistan known which is how they will make a future in the field of art.”

He added: “Four years ago I helped with the creation of this gallery by showcasing calligraphic art at the Egyptian National Day and by inaugurating a similar exhibition of calligraphic art.”

Mamoona Riaz, assistant curator, said: “Ambassador Hindam is a great patron of Pakistani art and culture. His support to Satrang Gallery, right from its inception four years back has been invaluable and his appreciation for and knowledge of calligraphic art makes him the ideal person to open such an exhibition.”

Rasheed Butt, a master calligraphist, has been plying his brushes since 1961. Having had the honour of exhibiting across the world and knowing that his calligraphies are part of the collections of numerous museums, he says, “my work in Islamic calligraphy is my fate and destiny, to which I have dedicated my life.”

Butt’s canvases are inherently minimalistic, with thick gold lettering highlighting Quranic verses. His masterpiece for exhibition was large canvas with the name of God placed boldly in the centre against a backdrop of 1,000 Ayats.

Gohar Qalam, a pseudonym for Khursheed Alam, the other world renowned calligraphist on display, is stylistically worlds apart from Butt. Qalam draws on traditional motifs and emblems to decorate the sheets of his calligraphy. Small floral patterns are placed in geometric shapes to highlight the beauty of the freehand calligraphy. With an old world charm, his paintings are passionate more than planned.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015

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