Solo show: Art sneaking through calligraphy

Artist takes inspiration to draw from nature surrounding him

LAHORE: A solo show featuring the works of Balochistan-based artist Mohammad Ibrahim, juxtaposing calligraphic symbols onto natural scenery is currently on display at the MainFrame Art Gallery.

‘The Ever-Praying Nature’ explores the artist’s scope of art, which is based on the fact that God is present everywhere.

According to the artist, he has tried his best to show this through his art.

Ibrahim told The Express Tribune that he took inspiration from nature surrounding him and built on his calligraphic landscapes with layers of overlapping Arabic text taken from the Holy Quran. “I keep on drawing the layers with infinite colour palette we see in nature as seasons begin to change,” he explained.



Ibrahim’s paintings in acrylic on canvas usually represent colours of autumn and spring. He said the process of juxtaposing phrases and words from the Holy Quran took him a long while to reach the point that he had imagined before starting the piece.

The artist was born in 1972 and hails from Quetta, Balochistan. He completed his Bachelor’s Fine Art from the University of Balochistan. He has been teaching painting and calligraphy since he graduated, as he feels giving back is a part of his artistic process.

His collection of 30 artworks is on display at the gallery till February 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2017.