Majestic atmosphere of Ahmed Pervez Art Gallery at The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi overwhelms the visitors. The walls of the gallery were adorned by the most attractive vivid stylised letters and words in various calligraphic styles highlighting Quranic verses and Islamic themes. The group exhibition includes 113 works by 51 artists. The artists participated have been invited from Karachi, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Lahore. The artists are mainly those whose art practices revolve around the genre of calligraphy.
The exhibition adds colours to the spiritual, aesthetic ambience of the holy month of Ramazan. The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, is arranging such calligraphy exhibition every year. The calligraphic works show great variation in script and style from artist to artist. It is a good opportunity to witness such a variety of calligraphic art at one place at a time. The calligraphies are characterized by striking clarity, distinctness and true to words when perceived either by the eyes or the mind.
The signature styles of famous artists and some new comers creating a blend of old and new calligraphic creations at the show, while mostly the artworks are in oil or acrylic on canvas other mediums are also used by the artists to glorify this art. All artists use different variations of Khat in their calligraphic works. They often combine illumination like using gold or silver leaf and painting elements like flowers and geometrical designs with the calligraphy.
The luminous, beautifully designed calligraphy shows the artists fusion of their personalities in their works which satisfy their creative endeavour. With a strong aesthetic appeal, brilliant use of colours and superb balance between design and form, their art of calligraphy creates an immediate visual impact. A feeling of calmness and stillness characterizes the environment of the gallery. Overall the exhibition is a delight for Islamic art lovers who can enjoy the works by various artists with different artistic leanings and varied skills. Visitors also lauded the artists for not only keeping the art of Islamic calligraphy alive but also for giving it impetus.
The exhibition includes the calligraphic works of: Mohsin Jaffery, M.A. Bokhari, Raza Ali, Munir Shah, Aftab Zafar, Akram Spaul, Tariq Tonki, Mehtab Ali, Shakil Ismail, Zulfiqar Zulfi, Sumera Saleem, Abdul Haseeb, Amjad Ali Minhas, Jasarat Pervaiz, Muhammad Shafique, Saif ul Islam, Farid Durani, Mohammad Waseem, Azra Wahab, Azam Ali, Husna Naz, Naeem Mughal, Arjumand Fatima, Fareed uddin, Khalid Shaikhani, Samreen Idrees, Fouzia Khan, Imran Zaib, Fasihuddin Quresji, Salman Ahmed, Liaquat Ali Kiyani, A S Rind, Zubi Ali, Tayyab, Saleem Bhopali, Hamid Nasir, Waqar Afzal and others. The Arts Council Pakistan, Karachi Secretary, Ahmed Shah and Ms Qudsia Akbar, Chairperson Fine Art Committee welcome the visitors.
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