More than 60 calligraphy paintings depicting the Quran’s good words are on display at the National Art Gallery

by AFIQ AZIZ/ pic by ARIF KARTONO

“SPEAK a good word or remain silent” is one of the teachings by Prophet Muhammad, as a reminder for the people to guard their tongues and avoid hurting others with words.

The advice remains relevant until today to which it even influenced the artworks at the Contemporary Islamic Calligraphy Exhibition at the National Art Gallery.

Themed At-Tayyibah, the message of the exhibition is clear: No provocation, no political satire, no insults, only good words.

More than 60 calligraphy paintings from eight different artists of the Tajdid Islamic Arts Group are on display at the gallery.

One of the group pioneers Ariff Shaari said all of the artworks are based on good words from the Quran or the prophet’s hadiths.

He specialised in Kufi-Murabba’ or Square-Kufi, one of the khat forms.

Kufi-Murabba’ is the latest of its kind and the most simplified calligraphy, with the term murabba’ dictates a display of crafty arrangements in its square-like, cubic or checkered nature. Historically, the transcript of Kufi-Murabba’ can also be found on coin money in the 14th century, or at Islamic buildings such as mosques.

Ariff said designing khat calligraphy using a computer such as Kufi-Murabba’ requires a different set of skills.

“It is different compared to freehand. Kufi is a technique to sort the letters according to the lack of space allotted, without damaging the letters,” he told The Malaysian Reserve.

“The foundation of the shape and space is square. However, it can be modified and crafted into a more flexible way so it would not be too rigid and classical.

“This is how it can be continuously relevant and compete with other types of calligraphy which also consists of various shapes,” Ariff added.

It took him almost two years to finish his first Ayatul Kursi — one of the verses in the Quran.

“Only after that accomplishment, I can design the next series of Ayatul Kursi faster,” he said, pointing at his third Ayatul Kursi artwork at the exhibition.

Writing can be a form of art that applies both to writing by hand — calligraphy and to letters and characters designed in printed or digital form — typography.

As calligraphy is a gestural art, it incorporates more variation in form than typographic writing, which is made mechanically and often within narrow technical constraints.

“However, down many centuries, more contemporary designs and types have emerged with many combinations, making hundreds of types of calligraphy published in the world,” 65-year-old artist Ismail Md Zain said.

“This includes contemporary words that are designed using computers, like Kufi,” Ismail added.

The exhibition, which will be held until Aug 31, also displayed artwork designed by Sharinah Md Nor, who is also a person with disability, who crafts her artwork using a laser cut concept.

“Sharinah explained that when she works on this, she imagines the person who wants to explore this artwork is blind to ensure even a blind person can appreciate and feel this artwork,” Ariff said.

The creation of an art market for calligraphy and fine typography has also influenced all of the world’s major writing systems. One of the most innovative developments in recent years has been graffiti.

As for Ismail, calligraphy writing in Malaysia is still new and less exposed to the public.

“Some of us started to showcase their arts in silo but since 2015, we started the Tajdid group together with four pioneers.

“Now we have eight members and we would not limit the group, as long as it carries the aspiration to spread the good words via arts in Malaysia and outside the country, as well as ready to tag along and be innovative in calligraphy, as what Tajdid notion meant — renewal,” Ismail said.

“We hope can further promote the calligraphy arts. I believe we still have a long way to go exposing our community with this kind of art,” he added.

Other five artists from the group who are involved in the exhibition are Abd Ghafur Tahir, Fadil Sulaiman, Ahmad Rajaei Awang, Ainun Jariah Yaacob and Ahmad Dhiya Abdul Ghafur.