Calligraphy Sem 6 Research By Kanika Gupta

Islamic Calligraphy

Calligraphy as an art in the present times. Ghalib Academy Near Nizamuddin Dargah Calligraphy was taught here 6 to 8 months back. The course has now been shut because there are no takers.

Urdu Ghar I.T.O (Ring Road) Calligraphy classes were stopped some 4 years back.

Iran Culture House Tilak Marg, near India Gate Mr Majid Ahmady Now works in Iran Culture House. He used to do calligraphy before. He had an exhibition of his work at the National Museum 3 years back. He has also delivered lectures and seminars on the subject of calligraphy in the same place. According to him the art of calligraphy is at its decline in India. Due to the coming of computers nobody cares about calligraphy anymore. Thus there are very few genuine artists left. In the past 10 years people doing calligraphy have slowly moved on to newspapers.

Ms Safara Works in Iran Culture House. She is rewriting a book in Nastaliq which is written in Naskh. She is here only for 2 years and will then go back to her hometown Iran. She started learning calligraphy as a child at an age of 8 years. Since then she has been practicing this art.

Jama Masjid There is one calligrapher here who is still practicing. However he earns out of writing books in Arabic and Urdu. He has been interviewed by ‘The Hindu’. There are also a few articles that he has written on calligraphy which have been published in the papers. Mr Anis Siddiqi He used to practice calligraphy in the past. But since there are no students now he is working in Miranda House, Delhi University where he teaches English calligraphy. He has a studio where he sometimes likes to work on the art. He has also conducted workshops on calligraphy through Spic Macay.

The exhibition 1 – 8th April 2008 Venue : Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Mati Ghar. An exhibition of work by five different calligraphers. The entire exhibition was conceptualized Mr Abbas Hasnain and Sameera, his wife.

Hashim Akhtar Naqvi Winner of Limca Book of World Records. Is an expert in 5000 different calligraphic styles. Awards : First prize for the “Innovative Calligraphy” at the All India competition of calligraphy organised by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages, Srinagar in 1989. Tauheed-ul-Muslimeen Trust awarded certificate of merit 1991-1992. Out of a total 113 Bismillah…. Designs the Dar-ul-Quran publishers, Bombay used 52 Bismillah…. Designs for their ‘Al Quran’(Waraqi).

Mr Javed Abbasi Delhi Calligrapher He does calligraphy using small wooden sticks.

Sz Mumtaz Ali Khan Calligrapher Tonk, Rajasthan

Raza Zaidi Calligraphy on Canvas

Agha Mohammad Hassan Calligraphy with pulses

Mohammad Usuf Embroidery on cloth, Lucknow

Conclusions The art of calligraphy is now declining. The major reason for this is the introduction of typewriters and computers in the daily lives of people. Financially this art gives the artist no prospects of a bright future. Thus there are no takers for it. Nobody wants to learn the art anymore.

Kanika Gupta Communication Design Semester 6 2008