Calligraphy exhibition: With bold strokes, artist pens personal narrative

Azeem Iqbal uses a variety of materials to share his love for Arabic script.


Myra Iqbal October 29, 2013
Iqbal explores the relationship between the divine and the secular through calligraphy. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD:


For calligraphist Azeem Iqbal, the canvas is an extension of his relationship with the secular and the divine. Iqbal’s calligraphy exhibition opened at the National Library on Monday, revealing his dedication to the craft through his prolific collection.


A shift from the more austere technique of calligraphic expression, Iqbal’s work is unreserved and inquisitive, while the colour palette, material and forms are traditional, the strokes and narratives are personal, with an imperfection that is endearing. Iqbal uses bold gestures, unrestrained lettering and sometimes even abandons the paint brush to use his fingers.

“I attended a small school in Mian Channu while growing up,” shared the self-taught artist, whose journey with the craft has been long, and dauntless. Having completed his Bachelors in Art, Iqbal’s love for the Arabic script led him to pursue workshops and short courses in calligraphy and a combination of his simple upbringing coloured his canvases with a visceral sensibility.



“It was the slate that drew me to the pen and the beauty of the Arabic form,” he explained, adding that his adulation for the simple relationship between the earth, man and his creator was one that triggered his artistic discourse.

About 100 paintings adorned the dingy concourse at the National Library, an amalgam of bone, leather, semi-precious and gem stones and earthy hues revealing a fascination with nature, and the deliverance of the holy Quran that elevates the status of the Arabic language.


Iqbal explores the relationship between the divine and the secular through calligraphy. PHOTO: EXPRESS

For the artist, who has dedicated more than a decade and a half to his work, peace is the quintessential narrative of Islam and the Islamic world at large. Iqbal draws his inspiration from home-grown maestros of fine art, Sadeqain and Gulgee. He feels that each artist distinguishes himself not just through the finesse of his craft but through his personal experiences.

“Sometimes he creeps out of the bed at 5am because he is inspired,” shared Iqbal’s wife, who was with him at the exhibit, explaining that the artist’s work was the cultivation of his epiphanies rather than extensive preponderance. “As soon as he has an idea, he puts it down on paper.”

The event was held under the aegis of the Tajik embassy and the Institute of Peace and Diplomacy.

The exhibition is open till October 30 from 11am to 5pm at the National Library. The calligraphic works are priced between Rs15,000 to 200,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2013.

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