National Calligraphy Exhibition showcasing 100 art pieces opens today

 

Islamabad

Three-day National Calligraphy Exhibition will open from today (Tuesday) in the federal capital with display of more than 100 exquisite calligraphy art pieces of prominent calligraphers from across the country reinvigorating this glorious art.

The exhibition is being arranged by National History and Literary Heritage (NHLH) Division in collaboration with National Book Foundation at National Arts Gallery Pakistan National Council of the Arts.

President Mamnoon Hussain will inaugurate the exhibition, while Adviser to Prime Minister on NHLH Irfan Siddiqui will also be present on the occasion.

The exhibition is being arranged under the title ‘Noon Walqalam’ taken from the beginning of the sixty-eighth Surah of Holy Quran and is translated as ‘Noon By the Pen’ and What they Inscribe.

Around 100 calligraphic art pieces by 50 professional as well as new talented calligraphers from across the country will be displayed in the exhibition, while the arrangements for the exhibition have been finalised.

Ustad Shafeeq uz Zaman, Ellahi Baksh Mati, Muhammad Ali Zahid, Abubakar Sadeeque and Khalid Javeed Yousafi are among the professional calligraphers whose work will be showcased in the exhibition while the young calligraphers include Mukhtar Ali, Kashif Khan, Ashraf Heera, Wasil Shahid etc.

The exhibition would have three sections for displaying separately the art works of young and emerging calligraphers, professional calligraphers and those legendary calligraphers, who are not alive.

Arranging such exhibition at government level would be a source of encouragement for the calligraphy artists and a mile stone toward promotion of this important genre of art, Irfan Siddiqui said.

Talking to APP, he said this division would also arrange an International Exhibition of Calligraphy soon as part of its efforts to promote the cultural heritage of the country for which this division was created a year ago.

Calligraphy is an ancient form of art and has its roots in Sub-continent’s Islamic traditions and this unique form of art can be learned with utmost passion and sufficient time.

The calligraphers from across the country are expecting that this exhibition would prove as a great effort to reinvigorate this unique form of art and motivate the young calligrapher to achieve excellence in their work.

Shafeeq uz Zaman, who is recognised as calligrapher of Prophet’s Mosque, said calligraphy is a unique art and its importance cannot fade away in the era of modern technology. He said this event would provide a platform to the calligraphers from across the country to share their valuable experience and promote innovative ideas to bring this genre of art to new heights.

Rasheed Butt, another prominent calligrapher, said this exhibition would prove as catalyst to educate the younger generation about the legacy of our forefathers introduce the prominent calligraphic works of the artists and encouraging young calligraphers to keep alive this unique and ancient visual form of art.