Traditional Art & Crafts

in Pakistan

Arabic Calligraphy

FRONT
COVER

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Traditional Art & Crafts
in Pakistan
Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition

13 April, 2017
Venue: Ontario Legislative Assembly
 Contents

About Arabic Calligraphy ........................................................................................v

Ancient Pakistan: An Introduction1 .......................................................................1
Pakistan’s Islamic Heritage2: Calligraphy & Calligraph-Art..............................5
Introduction of artists participating in Exhibition: ‘Allama bil Qalam
1. Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan ............................................................................... 11
2. Ahmed Ali Bhutta ........................................................................................ 12
3. Abdul RazaqRazi .......................................................................................... 13
4. Abdul Rasheed ............................................................................................. 14
5. Afrah Fiaz ...................................................................................................... 15
6. Ajab Khan ..................................................................................................... 16
7. Fahim Hamid Ali ......................................................................................... 17
8. Hafiz Anjum Mehmood .............................................................................. 18
9. Irfan Ahmed Khan ....................................................................................... 19
10. Nisar Ahmed ................................................................................................ 20
11. Salim Khan .................................................................................................... 21
12. Rashid Hussain Seyal ................................................................................... 22
13. Maqsood Ali Lashari ................................................................................... 23
14. Muhammad Asghar Ali ............................................................................... 24
15. Muhammad Kashif Khan ............................................................................ 25
16. M.A. Bukhari ................................................................................................ 26
17. MussarratArif ............................................................................................... 27
18. Master Mustafa ............................................................................................. 28
19. Rana Riaz Ahmed ........................................................................................ 29
20. Sabahat Anis ................................................................................................. 30
21. Seemi Mirza .................................................................................................. 31
22. Sehar Shahzad .............................................................................................. 32
23. Shamila Faizan .............................................................................................. 33
24. Shabana Nazir ............................................................................................... 34
25. Sumaira Amin .............................................................................................. 35

1 A brief account of Pakistan’s ancient history.

2 Islamic heritage of Pakistan refers to cultural influence of Islam on its heritage as visible in traditional
art, crafts, knowledge and skills including architecture, dress, cuisine, language, literature and other
norms and pursuits. This article covers calligraphy and calligraph-art only.
 About Arabic Calligraphy

C
alligraphy is the physical and spiritual manifestation of an art form dating
back to the times of Caliph Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with
him). Its development reflects the adherents’ link with an entire civili-
zation. This civilization influenced not only its contemporaries but also left an
irreversible impact on several succeeding generations.

As an art form, calligraphy has attracted global interest and has found a place in
societies across the world. Its treasures are housed both in Western museums and
in museums within the Islamic world.

Pakistani artists are primarily inspired by their ancient traditions. They have in-
corporated these traditions in an exquisite portrayal of Arabic ABJAD (alpha-
bets) in various styles as well as colourful painterly renderings. The work of these
artists offers a study in the blending of ancient with the modern. While doing so,
they remain deeply respectful of the sacred message.

This exhibition primarily contains art pieces from a private collection. Among
others, those rendered by Mr. Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan, the Chief Calligrapher
of the Prophet’s Mosque, Madinah Munawwarra are on display. The Prophet’s
Mosque in Madinah Munawwara is the highest seat where a Muslim calligrapher
would wish to work in the whole world.

I wish to thank my team and all those who worked with us to make this event
possible.

Imran Ahmed Siddiqui

Consul General

30 March 2017 v
vi
 Ancient Pakistan: An Introduction

A
ncient Pakistan is a fascinating study of interaction among diverse cul-
tures, languages, social systems and faiths. This interaction has imparted
Pakistan a distinctive cultural identity that is essentially tolerant, plural-
istic and accommodative. Watered mainly by Indus (Darya-i-Sindh) and its trib-
utaries and bounded, inter alia, by majestic Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu
Kush ranges, shimmering Thar and Cholistan deserts, rugged hills and valleys of
Balochistan and sparkling Arabian Sea, the land of Pakistan has cradled human
habitations since the Paleolithic Age.

Ideas, arts and crafts produced in ancient Pakistan were disseminated to adja-
cent countries and regions including South, Central and East Asia by preachers,
soldiers, traders, students and scholars. It was the territory of modern Pakistan
where experts set rules of as ancient a language as Sanskrit, developed elaborate
standards, inter alia, of weights, medicines and town planning, produced exegesis
of sacred religious texts and created arts and crafts which remain most treasured
part of Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage.

About 25 kilometers from Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, flows the Soan, an ancient
stream that gently raises its head at the foothills of Murree and winding through
a tortuous path falls into Indus River near Kalabagh. At Rawat, within reaches
of the Soan, researchers have found the oldest stone tools in the world dating as
far back as 2.2 million years. Evidence of Palaeolithic culture was also recorded
in southern Pakistan near Hyderabad, where a flint workshop was discovered at
Ongar. The Sanghao caves near Mardan offer further evidence of contemporary
human endeavours. Additionally, fresco paintings and engravings at the caves
in Loralai and Musakhel illustrate the story of a prehistoric society in Pakistan.
Many sites at DhokPathan, Kund, Morgah, Hyderabad, Rohri, Jamal Garhi and
Khanpur belong to various stages of Paleolithic as well as Mesolithic ages.

Neolithic or New Stone Age (6500 to 2500 BCE) marked the beginning of hu-
man settlements in Pakistan as well as domestication of useful crops and animals,
building of shelters with burnt bricks and experimentation with ceramics. For the
earliest farming, wheat and barley were used. The first such settlement existed in 1
 the eighth millennium BCE at Mehrgarh in Sibi. The settlement was established
with simple mud buildings with four internal subdivisions. Numerous burials
have been found, many with elaborate goods such as baskets, stone and bone
tools, beads, bangles, pendants and occasionally animal sacrifices, with more
goods left with burials of males. 

Discovered by Jean Francois Jarrige and his team in 1974, experts found evidence
of trans-regional trade as well as wheat cultivation at the site. The concentration
of population in KotDiji, Sindh and Rehman Dheri, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led to
the development of higher civilizations.

Indus Valley (3000-1300 BCE) is one of the four mature civilizations of the world.
Across 250 acres on a series of mounds, Moenjo-Daro, its prime city was the most
advanced in contemporary South Asia. The city was governed as a city-state as
no evidence of kings and queens has been discovered either in Moenjo-Daro in
Sindh or Harappa, another city of the civilization in Punjab.

Evidence suggests that these two cities had profound knowledge of city planning.
Both had evolved a uniform system of weights and measures and made bricks
whose dimensions were in proportion of 4:2:1 considered in line with the ideal
strength of the brick structure. Buttons made from sea shells and ivory combs
were in use besides bangles worn by females. The practice of dyeing also relates to
Moenjo-Daro. Archaeologists have found private bathrooms at the ground floor
of most houses highlighting the use of flush toilets.

Discovery of figurines of dancing girls made Sir John Marshal reflect, “When
I first saw them I found it difficult to believe that they were prehistoric; they
seemed to completely upset all established ideas about early art and culture.”

Similarly, it is said that the earliest plough (animal drawn) and rulers used in the
world were by the Indus Valley people. Interestingly, rulers were made of ivory.
In the same vein, knowledge about weights and measures used in Moenjo-Daro
also gradually spread to Central Asia.

Indus Valley Civilization is also the first literate civilization of South Asia. Goods
produced by it were exported to Egypt, Sumer, and Ur, a fact that informs its
international connections and knowledge of the world outside its boundaries.
Indus Valley inhabitants were given the name ‘Meluhha’ by the Babylonians
because of their fondness for sea voyages. The dikes built by the Indus Valley
people are believed to be the first in the world. The Rigveda, one of the four ca-
nonical texts of Hindusim composed approximately between1500 and 1000 BCE,
describes Sindhu (Indus) as the cradle of civilization. The Ramayana mentions
Sindh as part of the empire of Dasaratha.

Scholars from Harvard University, University of Wisconsin and New York Uni-
versity dealing with ancient civilizations in a project in collaboration with the
Department of Archaeology and Museums of the Government of Pakistan, have
2 opined that “a new study of artifacts” has revealed the presence of silk at the site
of Harappa. This indicates the use of silk by the Indus Valley Civilization.

After Mehrgarh and Indus Valley, Gandhara is yet another landmark on Paki-
stan’s archaeological landscape. Situated in the northwest of Pakistan, its bound-
aries extended to Lahore in the east of Pakistan and to the west into Afghanistan.
Occupying a prominent position at a crossroads, Gandhara facilitated ancient
Pakistan’s international relations.

Rigveda mentioned Gandhara as a tribe. In historical literature, it was first men-

tioned as “part of the Achaemenian Empire” during the time of Cyrus the Great.
Over the centuries, it developed into a place where contemporary scientific, po-
litical, social and religious ideas, as well as art and crafts of diverse lands met and
influenced each other.

Taxila, the ancient city of Gandhara has been described as the wealthiest in con-
temporary South Asia. Its prosperity resulted from its position “at the junction of
three great trade routes: one from eastern India, the second from western Asia;
and the third from Kashmir and Central Asia.” It attracted distinguished preach-
ers including Apostle Thomas and Apollonius of Tyna whose biographer Phi-
lostratus described Taxila as a fortified city that was laid out on a symmetrical
plan and compared it in size to Nineveh.

King Ambhi of Taxila received Alexander the Great around 320 BCE. In the fol-
lowing seven centuries, Greek influence introduced classical traditions that be-
came an important part of the Gandhara heritage. It is said that Mahabharata-
was recited for the first time at Taxila by Vaismpayana, a disciple of Veda Vyasa.
Buddhist literature including Jataka mentions Taxila as a great centre of learning.
Taxila was also visited by the famous Chinese monk Fa Hien in 405 CE. The city
is mentioned in his travelogue titled A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms. Another
well-known Chinese Xuanzang, also called Hieun Tsang, visited Taxila in 630 CE.

Analysts have expressed the view that the world’s first university was established
at Taxila. Called Takshashila University, it existed in the eighth century BCE. An-
alyst Janaka Perera opines that “this university, the world’s oldest seat of higher
learning” was in existence even before the time of the Buddha “and even before
the Achaeminid rulers who occupied the Taxila valley in the sixth to fifth century
BCE.” Scholars opine that Buddha had undertaken a visit to Sindh. It is said that
given the extreme dry conditions, special permission was given by Buddha to his
followers to wear shoes when they traveled in Sindh.

Chandragupta Maurya, who later founded the Maurya dynasty, studied at Tak-
shashila University. Chanakya (Kautilya) taught politics and diplomacy in the
University where he wrote his masterpiece Arthashastra. It is said that Charaka,
the famous ayurvedic physician who wrote Charaka Samhita was a product of
Takshashila University. Atreya taught medicine and surgery at Taxila.

Scholars have emphasized that Greek populace in the Mauryan Empire converted
to Buddhism after Asoka (304-232 BCE), a grandson of Chandragupta, became 3
 a Buddhist. In the context of Hellenic influence, a reference could be made to the
Kailash people in Chitral, who may well be the direct descendants of the soldiers
of Alexander.

Under Asoka, Buddhism became the most popular faith in ancient Pakistan. The
Mankiala Stupa near Rawat is an important Buddhist site. According to a legend,
Buddha at this place “sacrificed some of his body parts to feed seven hungry ti-
ger cubs.” Scholars believe that the “entire area from Peshawar to Gabral and the
entire Dir Valley were stupa-studded.” There were “hundreds of monasteries”
throughout these valleys. Now in advanced stages of decay, the remnants of such
monasteries can be seen at many places in Pakistan including Mardan, Jamalgar-
hi, Shabazgarhi, Charsadda and Takht-i-Bahi.

Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche (the Precious Guru), was
born in Swat which is not far from Islamabad. Considered as the ‘Second Buddha’,
he is highly venerated in the entire Himalayan region especially in the Tibet re-
gion of the People’s Republic of China, and Bhutan. In his youth, Asoka, served as
the Governor of Taxila. His son Mahindra, and daughter Sanghamitra, preached
Buddhism in Sri Lanka, from where this religion is said to have spread to East
Asia including Thailand.

After Alexander and his Indo-Greek satraps, many other groups took control
of Gandhara including Sakas, Parthians, Scythians and Kushanas. The great
Kushanas took keen interest in developing Gandhara into an important Buddhist
center under Kanishka during the second century CE. The period of prosperity
ended with devastating Hun or Hephthalite attacks during the fifth and sixth cen-
turies setting in gradual decline of this great culture.

History places Pakistan at a central position on the world heritage map. The
unique geography and cultural diversity of the country have shaped it as an in-
evitable forerunner of great cultural and political movements across South, Cen-
tral and East Asia. While writing about ancient Pakistan, renowned scholar, Mr.
Mukhtar Ahmad aptly remarked, “It is to this unique region that we owe much of
our élan in South Asia.” In line with a great tradition, Pakistan remains a prime
proponent and promoter of regional integration and connectivity as well as a
culture of tolerance and accommodation for all. In fact, these are the most prom-
inent traits of our ethos.

4
 Classical Calligraphy &
Calligraph-art in Pakistan

Muhammad Athar Tahir-Chowdhry

C
 
lassical Muslim calligraphy based on Arabic language and its script has
had a long, hallowed and rich tradition in Pakistan. The chain of trans-
mission of this art can be traced to the great period of Islamic rule – Ab-
basid Baghdad, Mamluk Egypt, Umayyad Spain, Ottoman Turkey, Safavid Iran,
and Mughal South Asia – all of which saw a vast flowering of calligraphic skills.

Throughout Islamic history, the spirit of the Divine Word and its manifestations
through the art of calligraphy have occupied a central role on the cultural stage.
The written Word became in essence, to use Franz Rosenthal’s term, the “second
symbol” of Islam. Not only for its beauty and ornamentation but also for the spirit
of the eternal message it carried, the calligraphy of Qur’anic verses and other
largely religious inscriptions was revered, practiced, and commissioned.

From the early works in non-diacritical Kufi on skin, bark, and bone, to the more
ornate Kufi and its seven variations; from the bold Thuluth to the slapdash skill of
Shikasta; from the facilitative Naskh to the austere grandeur of Nasta’liq; from the
Chinese brush-script to the several African and Saharan variations of Maghribi;
all these styles have enriched the repertoire of penmanship while celebrating the
glory of God and veneration of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), his fam-
ily and companions.

While these styles were essentially utilitarian in purpose, in time, they acquired
regional aesthetic and linguistic inputs to evolve a variety that is unprecedented
in the calligraphy of any other civilization. As the Divine Word began to adorn
and embellish the page, the art also began its aesthetic journey on to the walls of
mosques where the Word and the underlying prompt – were highlighted, both
to educate and awe.
5
 From mosques, the calligraphed word traveled to walls of shrines, forts, palaces
and to other monuments, both sacred and secular. The sacred or Islamic origin of
the script began to permeate secular aspects of life. Muslims began to incorporate
the written word in other fields of human endeavour. Beautiful writing began to
weave its magic in cloth, appear on clay and metal vessels, on military arms and
artillery, and a vast variety of domestic, public, and ceremonial objects.

With the arrival of Muhammad Bin Qasim in Sindh in 712 CE, Arabic script in
the Kufi style reached this part of South Asia. From this landing to the conquest
of Lahore by the Ghaznavids (in late 10th century CE) and to the present – a span
of thirteen hundred years – an unbroken continuum of calligraphic tradition, at
times flourishing and at others feeble, manifested itself through various forms
and expressions. Two of the fourteen stone slabs discovered inside the mosque
area at Bhambore, near Thatta (in present day Sindh Province of Pakistan), are
dated 109 Hijra/727 CE and 294 Hijra/906 CE. Two other inscriptions of this
period have also been found in the Tochi Valley in the north of Pakistan. Since
calligraphic ability was closely connected with piety, the presence of Muslims in
Sindh led to the emergence of two early centres of calligraphy at Mansura and
Multan. Ibn Muqla’s Naskh script had, by 952 CE, reached Sindh as the inscrip-
tions at the mosques of Sukkur and Rohri show. Naskh became so widespread in
Sindh that when the Sindhi language was accorded a standardized script (in the
mid-19th century), it was this style that was chosen.

Calligraphy flourished under Malik Ayaz, the first Muslim-Ghaznavid Governor

of Lahore (appointed c. 1037 CE). Schools of calligraphy were established as were
workshops for presentation of ink and paper. The succeeding dynasties of the Sul-
tanate period, the Slave Dynasty (1206-1290 CE), the Khilji (1290-1320 CE), the
Tughlaq (1320-1414 CE), the Sayyid (1414-1446 CE) and the Lodhi (1451-1526
CE) all cultivated Thuluth and Kufi styles also.

The golden period of calligraphy in South Asia began with the Mughal Dynasty
(1526-1857 CE), the first ruler of which was Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur
(1483-1530 CE). Temporarily removed from the throne, Babur’s son Emperor
Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun (1508-1556 CE) went into exile in Persia,
returning from where he brought artists and calligraphers in his retinue. These
calligraphers then laid the foundations of the Mughal calligraphic tradition. The
high regard in which the Mughals held classical calligraphy is evident from their
royal practitioners who included emperors, princes, princesses and nobles. Pa-
tronage was showered and titles were bestowed on calligraphers. Nasta’liq was
now widely employed in the production of manuscripts at Lahore, among other
cities.

Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar’s reign (1542-1605 CE) was Lahore’s fin-
est period. Serving as the capital of a vast empire for fourteen years (1585-1599
CE), the city received tremendous impetus. An immense imperial atelier was es-
tablished where the four major arts of the book, calligraphy, illumination (embel-
6 lishment with abstract designs in gold and colours), illustration (the addition of
figural paintings), and binding (the adornments of the covers between which the
leaves were protected) flourished. Numerous masters were employed to prepare
and illustrate luxurious manuscripts and imperial codicils. Monumental calligra-
phy graced mosques, mausoleums (later including the Taj Mahal), charity wells,
tomb-stones, cenotaphs, commemorative gates, educational institutions and cel-
ebratory plaques.

As the Mughal Empire began to fall apart in the early 18th century CE, the centre
could no longer hold the vast territories. In its place, British rule gained strength,
initially under the quasi-government of the British East India Company and by
1858 through direct Crown intervention. In this period of political decline, three
important developments which had a direct bearing on calligraphy took place.
One was the introduction of the printing press; second, the increasing trend of
newspaper publishing; and third, the organization of the colonial system of ed-
ucation.

During the British Raj three centres of calligraphy re-emerged: Lucknow, Delhi
and Lahore. Imam Verdi (d.1888), practicing in mid-nineteenth century Lahore,
brought subtle, unparalleled changes in Nasta’liq and laid the foundation of La-
hori Nasta’liq which continues to flourish. Verdi’s work was then taken up by
another great master, Abdul Majeed Parveen Raqam. Meanwhile in Delhi, Ustad
Yousuf, a contemporary of Parveen Raqam, established the Delhi School of Nas-
ta’liq. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, many of the Delhi-based
calligraphers migrated to Karachi, thus influencing the practitioners in that
growing city so that Karachi’s Nasta’liq retains the Delhi features which are quite
distinct from those of Lahori Nasta’liq.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, classical calligraphy was an important

part of everyday intellectual and cultural life in Pakistan. The advent of com-
puter composing in Nasta’liq still a distant prospect, calligraphers were largely
employed by newspapers, magazines, printing presses and advertising agencies.
In Pakistan, it was practiced at such ancient centers as Multan, Lahore and Pesha-
war, as well as newer places like Karachi and Rawalpindi. These centers spawned
numerous schools which evolved around master scribes who included Ustad
Yousuf Dehlavi, Abdul Majeed Parveen Raqam, Taj-ud-Din Zareen Raqam, Ma-
jeed Dehlavi, Hafiz Abdul Wahid Nadir al-Qalam, Haji Din Muhammad Almas
Raqam, Syed Anwar Hussain Nafes al-Husaini, and Hafiz Muhammad Yousuf
Sadeedi.

With the introduction of computerized scripts for Arabic and Urdu, calligraphers
suffered a major setback. Opportunities of gainful employment dried up. The
schools rapidly vanished. A few brave souls individually, and later collectively,
persisted forming various forums for promoting calligraphy.

From the 1960’s onwards, an art form distinct from the centuries-old tradition of
classical calligraphy which, for want of a better term, may be called calligraph-art
began to emerge. However, calligraph-art did not start as a unified movement.
7
 Diverse influences in various parts of the Muslim world prompted artists and cal-
ligraphers to explore the potential of the written word in new and unprecedented
ways. With little common ground except the urge to interpret text – initially sa-
cred and then also secular - in visually creative contexts, there were simultaneous,
often unrelated, movements for reinterpretation and fresh, modern calligraphic
expression in every country and area where Arabic and languages based upon the
Arabic script existed.

By the middle of the twentieth century, the written word, both on paper as well as
on more monumental edifices, faced a visible challenge. The concepts of Western
education, social values, and culture obliged a re-examination of Muslim priori-
ties, heritage, and conventional mind-set. The term “calligraphy” now began to be
used in an over-simplified and indiscriminate manner as the blanket term for any
beautiful handwritten script. However, an incisive assessment of calligraphy and
allied applications led to the recognition that a distinct genre had emerged in the
last few decades of the twentieth century: calligraph-art. The exact point in time
when this emerged is hard to specify just as is the point where two big streams
start coming together is not always fully discernable.

There were several elements which contributed to calligraphy’s departure from

classical norms. Amongst these, perhaps the most important was the tughra, the
form in which the calligraphic seals of Ottoman sultans (and other notables) were
developed. Although it drew upon traditional calligraphy, tughra transformed
words into images. Yet another element was manuscript illumination; this art
form did not compromise the main letter-shapes of the text but used bolder,
non-conventional colors. Then there were decorative motifs such as clouds, twin-
ing tendrils, plants, flowers, palmettos, rosettes, trefoils, suns, stars, and inter-
lacing, all secondary to the script. Similarly, zoomorphic calligraphy with forms
resembling birds such as cranes, parrots, and eagles, animals such as lions, horses,
tigers and human figures – pushed the limits of classical calligraphy and opened
brave new paths.

Two other traditional practices also contributed towards the evolution of cal-
ligraph-art. The first were the qita’at (pieces) or single pages which prompted the
viewer to see sheets of calligraphy and painting as entities in their own right.
The mashq or practice sheet of a master calligrapher was another inspiration for
calligraph-art. A single letter or combination of letters repeated again and again
in close proximity resulted in patterns and designs. Though dismissed as objects
of little consequence then, these exercises now seem strikingly contemporary.

In this process of transformation of a traditional art form into its modern creative
expressions, artists and not calligraphers emerged as the pioneers who began to
reshape the traditional roles and rules of calligraphy. The phenomenon that was
not peculiar to Pakistan, but it was there that Muhammad Hanif Ramay and Sha-
kir Ali took the Word to canvas and began painting it with Western concepts of
composition and design.
8
Calligraph-artists had to resolve the tension between the meaning of what is writ-
ten and the form in which it is done in order to balance the purely visual or the
outward with the inward wherein lay the meaning. Even when viewers shifted
from one emphasis to another, the aesthetic and intellectual pleasures were mu-
tually reinforced.

Calligraph-art is the meeting, mixing, and merging of Arabic calligraphy in all its
traditional and/or personal interpretations with the aesthetic construct of West-
ern painting and the Muslim sense of design and symbolism. The appeal is not
only at the visual level but also at the intellectual. And unlike the calligraphers
whose works are controlled and judged by pre-determined rules, calligraph-art-
ists create their own rules even if these are, in most cases, not replicable and
bear highly individualistic stamps. Calligraph-artists recognize that their words
derive strength not only from the act of reading but that of viewing sans reading.
With their distinct individual styles calligraph-artists can be seen to roam freer
in imagination and creativity.

Within Calligraph-art, there are three interlinked and often overlapping subdivi-
sions: the decorative, the illustrative, and the symbolic. Decorative calligraph-art
is the earliest manifestation of this genre. Shakir Ali and Muhammad Hanif Ra-
may were amongst the pioneers of this form. Illustrative calligraph-art found its
leading exponents in Sadequain who incorporated motifs such as clouds, leaves,
and cactus-like forms to interpret, and give visual meaning to Qur’anic verses.
Symbolic calligraph-art uses various painterly, sculptural, and graphic devices to
capture the spirit of the words used, or to evoke an emotional response.

Calligraph-art in Pakistan continues to sustain a historic tradition by taking the

basic flow of the shape of letters and words and creating variations to engage
viewers – both classicists and modern – in their desire for unraveling the power
of the word and its innate meanings.

******

9
 Introduction of Artists:

10
Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan
Mr. Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan is a master extraordinaire of
Thuluth. His status has been recognized by his incum-
bency of the extremely coveted position of Khattat al-Ha-
ram an-Nabavi ash-Sharif (Calligrapher to the Prophet’s
Mosque) in Madinah Munawwarah, for which he was
selected through an international competitive process.

Cell: +966-507741307

11
 Ahmed Ali Bhutta
Ahmed Ali Bhutta likes to express his art in
Nasta’liq, Naskh, Thuluth, and Kufi styles.

Cell: +92-3004905103

12
Abdul RazaqRazi
Abdul RazaqRazi teaches at the National College
of Arts, Rawalpindi Campus. He is an expert of
all Arabic Khats (styles) and illumination.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3219841511

13
 Abdul Rasheed
Abdul Rasheed’s brush is unbounded by traditional re-
strictions. His style has received international acclaim.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3013354954
14
Afrah Fiaz
Afrah Fiaz’s youthful energies have
enabled her to combine Kufi and Naskh
in a new style which is her own mark of
distinction.

15
 Ajab Khan
Ajab Khan is known for an innovative style
in which he creates words by ingeniously
using geometrical shapes.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3339967976

16
Fahim Hamid Ali
A mix-media artist, Fahim Hamid Ali believes in
communicating with his audience through his art.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +1-647-502-7820

17
 Hafiz Anjum Mehmood
Anjum’s creative renderings have been
inspired by master calligraphers particularly
Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan. He teaches fine arts
at GC University, Faisalabad.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3236006937

18
Irfan Ahmed Khan
A master of all classical styles. Irfan Ahmed
Khan has also produced his own style
in Nasta’liq. He is a visiting Professor of
Calligraphy at the Lahore College for Women.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +92-42-35764558

19
 Nisar Ahmed
Nisar Ahmed takes his inspiration from
the calligrapher of the Prophet’s Mosque,
Madinah, Shafiq-uz-Zaman Khan.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3338376890

20
 Salim Khan
An accomplished painter and sculptor,
Salim Khan emigrated to Canada in 1973.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +1-416-995- 5431

21
 Rashid Hussain Seyal
Rashid Seyal is a versatile artist who
has contributed immensely to the
popularization of traditional forms of
calligraphy. His experiment with new
forms and styles is masterly.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3009637907

22
 Maqsood Ali Lashari
A teacher of traditional calligraphy,
Maqsood Ali is not only a practitioner
but also an editor of documentaries and
books about calligraphy.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3003882217

23
 Muhammad Asghar Ali
Muhmmad Asghar Ali blends traditional
calligraphy with contemporary art. The use
of dark and light basic technique makes his
compositions striking and absorbing.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3214463804/+92-3334206013

24
Muhammad Kashif Khan
Muhammad Kashif Khan is a young
calligrapher who has strictly upheld tradition
in his works. His favourite styles are Naskh,
Thuluth and Deewani.

Cell: +92-3332165106

25
 M.A. Bukhari
M.A. Bukhari integrates cubism and Arabic
words. He is known for an appropriate selection
of colours which soothe and attract viewers. His
specialty is printing the beautiful names of Allah
(Asma al Husna).

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3002339013

26
Mussarrat Arif
Mussarrat Arif ’s work mostly reflects
the composition of the western Kufi
calligraphy using mix-media.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3214995019

27
 Mustafa Master
An award winning architect, artist as well
as poet, Mustafa Master blends tradition
with modernity. He lives in Toronto.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +1-416-249-6687

28
Rana Riaz Ahmed
Rana Riaz Ahmed introduced the technique of
‘pointillism’ in calligraphy. Majesty of Quranic
words and beauty of colours enrich his work and
come together providing a unique visual pleasure.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-334684961

29
 Sabahat Anis
Sabahat Anis’ chief interest is in colour study
painting. Saba has exhibited her art work in
England and organized summer art camps
for school children. She lives in Toronto.

Email: [email protected]

30
Seemi Mirza
Seemi Mirza has worked with a
renowned collector of old Qur’anic
manuscripts, Haji Muhammad
Bashir Ambalvi. This afforded her an
opportunity to study centuries old rare
manuscripts and antique miniatures.
Later, she produced traditional
calligraphy using the miniature
technique. Most of her work is in Kufi
style.

Email: [email protected]

31
 Sehar Shahzad
Toronto based Sehar Shahzad likes
to use brush instead of reed to
create traditional style calligraphy.

Cell: +1-647-293-1240

32
Shamila Faizan
Toronto based artist Shamila Faizan
did her masters in textiles from Home
Economics College Lahore. She works
in mix-media textures and relief 3D
effects.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +1-905-805-5357

33
 Shabana Nazir
Shabana Nazir is a student of Ustad
Bashir, a well-known miniature artist.
She uses miniature technique to
produce calligraphy-art.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3234945603

34
Sumaira Amin
An accomplished miniature artist, Sumaira
Amin mastered the art of illumination in
contemporary styles. She uses miniature
technique to produce calligraph-art.

Email: [email protected]
Cell: +92-3214894229

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