Artists Statement

My interest in the works of the great poets of the eastern world is reflective in my art. I have undertaken various projects collaborating my own style of work, with the poetry of Iqbal, Rumi, Bedil, by creating compositions in the genres of miniature, painting and calligraphy.

In this exhibition titled “Mauzu-e-Sukhan”, I have selected the works of Rumi, and Faiz, and collaborated their motivational ethos into my paintings. Their rich and profound words are used as inspiration to create various calligraphic compositions based on the special technique known Siyah Mashq, which is a style of Persian calligraphy originally used by calligraphers in Iran as a tool of practice. Siyah means, “rough” and Mashq means “practice”.

The great poets words are motivation for my artworks and whilst I paint my calligraphic compositions, I attempt to preserve the meaning of the words by creating works that embody the emotions and the message in their poetry. Moreover, my work is presented in such a manner that it not only expresses itself as a work of calligraphy, but also appears to go beyond this into the territory of the genre of “painting”, by taking on some semblance of a painting.