Two-man art show opens at Nomad

Islamabad : An exquisite exhibition of creative calligraphy on ‘takhtis’ by Riffat Khattak and cultural photography by Nsir Malik opened at Nomad here at Bani Gala Saturday.

Nsir Malik’s photographs are sepia toned and focus either on traditional architecture of the old ‘havelis’ in Rawalpindi, or on nature. In a written statement, the artist describes curiosity as his teacher and guide, and innovation as his strength. “I explore the creative world of art as mix-media artist. The experience I have gained, I have to give it to the coming generations. Thus, I wish to train, teach, and educate by exploring the creative faculties of the human min. The idea is to groom the young talent of Pakistan into self-supported creative managers,” he mentions.

Riffat’s work is titled ‘Takhti..Dawat..Qalam.’ The artist believes that the art of Islamic calligraphy, which is fading fast because of computerization of scripts of local languages in Pakistan, needs to be revived. “Losing this art is a great national loss. The earthen smell of a freshly washed and resurface board haunts the ones who used it to this day,” he states.

With his innovative approach, Riffat has revamped the art of calligraphy. He has used a rather unconventional style to beautifully keep this art alive, reflecting the 99 names of Allah.

Riffat also derives inspiration from the fascinating aesthetics of calligraphy on mosques in Turkey and ‘sufi’ tradition reflected by the whirling dervishes of Konya.

The effort that it takes for Nomad and its team to keep art and cultural activities alive in Ramazan, particularly in these intrepid temperatures, can be rewarded by visiting the exhibition, which will continue till Eid, daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., all days except Friday.