Breathtaking calligraphy on canvas

Artists display their calligraphic work at Ejaz Art Gallery.

LAHORE:

Where Ramazan brings in a plethora of Eid exhibitions, it also kick-starts the trend of calligraphy art shows. To keep art in sync with the religious fervour of the month, Ejaz Art Gallery held an exhibition titled “Quat” on August 9.

The exhibition displayed the works of artists Shahid Rana, Bin Qullander, MA Bukhari, Noureen Akhtar, Jamshed Qaisar, Aamir Kamal, Arif Khan, Asad Faruki, Mashkoor Raza and Tariq Javed.

Each artist produced breathtaking blends of calligraphic aesthetic and their own signature art techniques for the one of a kind show. Qaisar is known for his work with oil on canvas and for “Quat”, he translated some of his traditional calligraphic tactics on canvas. Arif’s work played with illusion and imagery. His series of colourful bleeding backgrounds gave the illusion of water colours even though he had used the oil-on-paper technique to create psychedelic art pieces.

Kamal went a step ahead and added depth and weight to his work by enhancing the calligraphy pieces with carved frames that too had a calligraphic aesthetic.

Moreover, Akhtar presented a very modern rendition using mixed mediums. Sculpting out Quranic verses on different mediums and making them into one piece seems to be the new development in minimalistic calligraphy and Akhtar showed her dexterity as an artist by incorporating it in her work.

Akhtar’s work also proved to be a branch of education for aspiring calligraphers. “I am a student of calligraphy myself and it is always great to see what other people are doing and how this art can be taken forward,” says a local art student, “It is important for budding artists to be exposed to good work.”

Javed’s work boasted of doe-eyed women with a very traditional seasoning over it. His calligraphy echoes his signature fine strokes and colour palette and it doesn’t take one long to realise who the creator of the work is. Raza showcased his work in his standard fashion and used rich colours while staying true to his classic vibrant abstract strokes.

Bin Qullander is the latest calligraphy sensation in the market and pieces from his latest collection were presented at the gallery.  Qullander’s work exudes mystery and that’s what makes it intriguing and unforgettable at the same time. The red background with wispy writing added to the appeal of his work that always has a very uncanny feel to it.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Professor Ahmed Khan who, upon cutting the ribbon, voiced his thoughts regarding the show. “It is great to see so many artists under one roof. It is refreshing to see such a mixture of new and seasoned artists and so many different techniques involved,” he said.

The exhibit is a Ramazan special and will continue throughout the remaining days of the holy month.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2012.