RAWALPINDI, July 17: A five-day calligraphic exhibition titled Isteqbal-i-Ramazan started at Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) here on Tuesday. Around 70 calligraphic works by Mohammad Azeem Iqbal were on display.

Minister of State for Provincial Coordination Malik Azmat Khan inaugurated the exhibition which was attended by a large number of people.

It is the 36th solo exhibition of Mohammad Azeem Iqbal, a self-taught artist, who has also displayed his work in prominent art galleries of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. He is planning to hold an exhibition in Quetta after Eidul Fitr.

Mr Iqbal is among those calligraphists who introduced new techniques of calligraphy by using leather, wood, handmade paper, gold leaf, stones and copper.

He has applied third dimension of carving in his work, using different writing style like Kufi Thuluth, Nastalique and Jalli. He has also used bright colours in his work.

Talking to Dawn about the style of his calligraphy, Mohammad Azeem Iqbal said he got his inspiration from nature and believed that calligraphy was a field of love and devotion.

“I can say with pride and determination that I am the only person who has used calligraphic theme beginning from the period of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) right up to the present era,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, the state minister, Malik Azmat Khan, said calligraphy was the greatest Islamic and cultural heritage of Muslims. He said the new calligraphic method of Mohammad Azeem Iqbal was appreciable.

Former director, Rawalpindi Arts Council, Naheed Manzoor said Azeem Iqbal was a seed sowed by Rawalpindi Arts Council which has now grown into a tree.

The exhibition will remain open to the general public till July 21.