Whirling dervishes, stylised calligraphic forms on display in town

Islamabad

An exhibition of the whirling dervishes and calligraphic masterpieces by Shafique Farooqi, a senior artist whose global acclaim as a master of mystic paintings and calligraphy is now well-established, opened at Nomad Art Gallery here on Wednesday.

Farooqi has lived and worked abroad extensively, particularly in Turkey and the United States. “His art is inspired by the spiritual realm, creating free-flowing forms and letters reflecting a higher consciousness. The visual experience manifests itself in creating a calm and centering environment. We are exhibiting his new collection of paintings in stylized calligraphic forms and flow in movement,” the gallery’s director, Nageen Hyat, stated.

“My paintings are formed out of my impressions, observations and my emotional experiences I see reality as an endless process of conflicts and decisions, therefore the tonality of experience can never be resolved in a definite way. The texture of life is like the surface of a block of clay; it is shaped and molded by the circumstances of daily conflicts, personal and collective catastrophes and individual questioning. My work lives on this quest until it becomes a rite of realizations, a struggle for the possibility to order the sensation of consciousness,” Farooqi expresses in a written statement released to the media at the exhibition’s preview.

Born in Sialkot in 1942, Farooqi obtained a diploma in Graphic Art from Lahore in 1966, a certificate in drawing and painting from the National College of Arts, Lahore, in 1968, and then completed his Masters in Fine Arts from Istanbul Technical University in 1997. He lived and worked in Turkey for several years; the windows of his studio opened towards the Golden Horn and Bosphorus. Galata Bridge, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Museum were all before his eyes whenever he glanced through the window.

The window on the right opened towards the open ground of the biggest Sema Khana Galata Mevlevi-Hanesi (abode of the dervishes), from where Farooqi could witness all programmes and hear the melodious tunes of the flute. All these factors, combined with his instinctive love for mysticism, add a unique quality to Farooqi’s art.

The artist has done a remarkable job of capturing the beauty of the rhythmic rotational movements of the dervishes, using a variety of colours. In spite of his controlled brush strokes, Farooqi manages to create a floating effect, of which movement is the hallmark. Watching the paintings, one almost feels being part of the rotational movement, which is also evident in his calligraphy pieces.

“My lines -- while relaying the calligraphic flow, rhythm and movement – create images that translate my intuitive perception of reality, of the visual, as well as beyond what can be seen. The inspiration comes spontaneously from within. I feel myself in the grip of ‘line’ as much as a poet may feel himself in the grip of words,” the artist once commented during one of his previous exhibitions in Islamabad.

Farooqi has had 101 solo exhibitions at home and abroad, and has produced 10,000 art pieces over the last 50 years. He is a recipient of 20 national and international awards and 15 honours. Farooqi has six publications to his credit, the most recent one being ‘The Tale of the Drunken Flute in Whirling Dervishes.’ This absorbing publication takes its readers on a mystical journey in which they get to experience Sufism, ‘as seen and depicted through the intellect of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.’ The exhibition will remain open till June 15.