Art exhibition: Modern spin on traditional calligraphy

Innovative paintings put up on display at Aqs Gallery.

ISLAMABAD:

The words ‘contemporary’ and ‘calligraphy’ may seem contradictory on paper but on canvas, the merger  makes perfect sense.

“Harf-e-Raaz,” which features the work of two young artists Mahjabeen Mirza and Rabia Malik opened at Aqs Gallery on Friday.

The National College of the Arts (NCA) Rawalpindi graduates have exhibited their work together on various occasions. As batch mates and friends, their creative style and sensibilities complement each other, which is evident from their pieces spread throughout the gallery.

Malik’s work exudes a mildly earthen and somewhat botanical feel. There is ample of red, orange, mustard and green contrasted with dominant but precise black strokes. “I’ve experimented with the background, the composition and colours. This work is very spontaneous and at times, I even worked on three pieces simultaneously,” she said.



Still developing her style in the medium, Malik has demonstrated precision and control over the brush strokes and Arabic script. According to her, “Each letter portrays feelings and emotions.”

Similarly, Mirza has also gone the experimental route. Her palette consists of bold neon and candy colours, contrasted with thick black or chunky gold leaf. “Instead of staying confined to the traditional calligraphic school of thought, I’ve tried to permeate the pieces with my style to make them unique,” she said.

Both the artists have trained under renowned names in calligraphy including Rasheed Butt and Gauhar Kalam. “Over time, I have found my own style and noticed the various forms that the letters take,” Mirza added, while giving example of the water drops in some of the pieces.

“A high grade of talent is, without a doubt, present in this exhibition but at the same time it lags a bit in the grammatical system of the painting world, known to us artists as the matrix,” said veteran artist Mansur Rahi.

The curator of the gallery, Kiran A Mohsin said the paintings, especially the pylon ones and where the dye is smeared on to the canvas, were not typical calligraphy pieces. “The characters are so alive that it seems there’s music flowing through them. A lot of people will be interested in buying the pieces and not just like them,” she said.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Syrian Ambassador Dr Ali Muhra.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.