Refined calligraphy in pictorial perfection

Ahmed Anver’s art exhibition of Quranic calligraphy titled ‘A Celebration of Eternal Message’ started on Tuesday at the Citi Art Gallery, and would be held until January 24.
According to senior art critic Muhammad Jami, Anver honours his AA initial with a AAA quality in his artistic presentations that have a remarkable range of versatility, constantly enhanced by highly developed drawing skills and painterly prowess.
His defining differences poignantly distinguish his attractive renditions from other practitioners of calligraphy, mainly Arabic.
He has boldly chosen to demonstrate his masterly command over calligraphy by opting to present his prettily colourful paintings in both Kufi and Nastaliq; thus, providing viewing joy to the art lovers.
In his present solo show, Islamic symbols, mainly drawn from mosques, offer brilliant juxtaposition of the refined Kufi calligraphy in a plethora of designs that take enchanting aura in qualities only a colourist of his stature could bring to his works.
Circular domes, vertical minarets and horizontal bases are coloured in pleasant lines in pictures with Kufi forms in contrasting ranges of colours, and such combinations are composed sensibly to give a decorative discipline in each rendition.
Neatness of Nastaliq characters emerges in matching perfection of Kufi forms in equally presentable compositions.
He has played cleverly with geometrical innovations in packing the Kufi forms in colourful cubes.
He imposes these cubes onto well designed colour compositions suffused with Islamic symbols.
Several of such compositions brighten the show beautifully, besides speaking eloquently for the painterly ways that he opts to employ in all of his unique pictures.
Having honed his skills and polished his grasp of artistic understanding in the last 30 years of practice, he has established himself as a good artist who is destined to rule in his own creative style in the field of calligraphy.
Senior journalist Abid Ali Syed describes Anver as a mild-mannered, your-next-door-neighbour sort of a guy. Make no mistake, however, his mellowness and humility are not because of any dearth of passion and compassion in this persistently evolving creative being. Since the 1980s when he figured on the art scene, he has grown into a definitive and mature purveyor of its contemporary and traditional schools alike.
His creations, especially in the realm of Quranic calligraphy strike the viewer with a cool, comforting feeling, and inspire awe and loving respect for the visual symbols – the mosque, the minaret, the dome and the date-palm tree – of the universal message.
His canvases exude the aura of a tranquil, peaceful, cheerful, bright orderly scheme of things around us; a spiritual and blissful contentment that soothingly endears them to the eye and the mind.
Each painting has an intrinsic empathy with the surroundings; there is no chaos, no distortion; everything is at peace; the innermost peace of the soul that grows in response to one’s strongest affinity and closeness with the One, the Omnipotent, the Eternal Supreme Being.
As a practitioner of this venerated art form, he chooses pleasing-to-the-eye, bright and cheerful colours conveying his exuberance at being a part of a long succession of men who have devoted their lives to this pious tradition.
His fondness for the Iranian calligraphic tradition finds a proof in his choice of the Kufi script.
He utilises the old, the ornamental, the geometrical and the modernistic trends of this writing form.
However, the artist in him draws on the richness of all other calligraphic sources and traditions.
Two maestros have specifically inspired him in his artistic quest – Shafiquz Zaman and Aslam Kamal.
Their calligraphic exploits and experimentation within this genre, their relentless and innovative endeavours have been to Anver a source of learning and a spur for persistence and perseverance.
His journey of artistic exploits spanning over three decades started with an exhibit at the Punjab Arts Council in Lahore in 1981.
The well-decorated painter equally acknowledged at home and abroad has a number of solo and group exhibitions to his credit.
He has extensively travelled and is on the boards of several international calligraphic associations.
His current solo exhibition, a loving tribute to his Creator, will undoubtedly be a valuable and enriching experience for the admirers of the art of calligraphy.