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Calligraphy is the most important and pervasive element in Islamic art. It has always been considered the noblest form of art because of its association with the Qur'an. This preoccupation with beautiful writing extended to all arts—including secular manuscripts; inscriptions on palaces; and those applied to metalwork, pottery, stone, glass, wood, and textiles—and to non-Arabic-speaking peoples within the Islamic commonwealth whose languages—such as Persian, Turkish, and Urdu—were written in the Arabic script.
Beautiful writing has always been the celebrated medium among Iranian people whose contributions to the development of the art of Islamic calligraphy have been most prominent. The earliest influence of Pahlavi script (the script of Avesta) can be traced on the formation of the structure of Kufic, the first known Islamic script. At a latter stage, the famous six styles of cursive writing - namely Naskh, Thulth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhan, Tawqi and Riqa) were invented by Ibn Muqlah, an Iranian Minister in the court of Abbasid Caliphs. However, the most outstanding Iranian contribution to this art are the Nasta'liq style - a script that is also known as Aroos al-khutoot (the bride of all scripts) due to its soft structure and graceful movements - and the Shikasteh, a style with free movements that display the selflessness of a sufi in a spiritual dance.
“Calligraphy-painting is the latest artistic movement in Islamic calligraphy; it was initiated in Iran in mid 20th century and became popular in time. The new style brought together domains of pen and brush, ink and pen, and paper and canvas, opening up a new chapter in the art of the Muslim world.
In conjunction with the month of Ramadhan, the holy month of “Divine feast”, NN Gallery, in collaboration with Art & Identity Sdn Bhd, will be showcasing calligraphic artworks from Iran by renowned Iranian artists. The exhibition will feature artworks which have been executed from the very traditional up to the recent modern style. The artists featured are namely Ali Shirazi, Sedaghat Jabbari, and Amir H. Zekrgoo.
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The Artists
Ali Shirazi
Ali Shirazi, born in 1959 is a master of Nastaliq style. A devoted follower of the old traditional masters, master Shirazi writes with reed-pen and ink on paper in perfect command and absolute beauty. What makes his works distinct in the eyes of the viewer at his first encounter is the size of his writings. He displays his masterly ability with an unimaginable confidence using reeds with nibs as wide as an inch; a rare and brave movement in traditional calligraphy. The bold size of his reed elevates his works to a different level of visual clarity that allows the spectator to appreciate more the intricacies of his art. The beauty of his pieces is further enhanced with gold-leaf illumination on the border done by a master illuminator; the collaboration of calligrapher and illuminator in the production of artworks has been an age old practice in Iran.
Sedaghat Jabbari
Sedaghat Jabbari, adopts calligraphic forms as motifs to produce works that look modern at first glance. Having been exposed to both traditional calligraphic training and modern college education in fine arts, he boldly explores the ways to unite them in his works. In his latest artistic phase, he shows a drastic departure from the traditional ways of calligraphy, by experimenting with painting techniques, using brush and paint on canvas. The words and characters of his calligraphy-paintings have no longer the traditional clarity and so do not communicate to their viewers by the content they carry; instead display themselves as mere visual elements wrapped in colours and textures. With this, Sedaghat brings calligraphy to a different domain altogether and introduces himself more as a modern painter rather than a traditional `calligrapher'.
Prof. Dr. Amir H. Zekrgoo
Amir H. Zekrgoo is already a household name in the art scene in Malaysia. Dr. Amir joined the International Institute of Islamic Art and Civilization (ISTAC), IIUM as professor of Islamic and Oriental Arts in 2001, and has been residing with his family in Malaysia since then. He is known both thorough his writings, and his multifaceted artworks: calligraphy, painting and photography. His first mentor in calligraphy was his father. “With his help”, Amir explains “I was introduced to the visual form and composition through calligraphy, and to the mystical realm and inner sense of rhythm through poetry. All these eventually led me to the painting.” In his works he tries to treat the traditional calligraphy with a fresh approach, using a variety of mediums and colors. In their composition, multi layered mountings, adorned with motifs extracted from historical Qur'anic manuscripts are adopted; they symbolize the various layers of Truth, each leading to another. Though in his works a new creative approach is evident, a strong presence of the old tradition is observed.
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