Exhibition Opening and Talk – Rasheed Butt, Master Calligrapher
Embassy of Pakistan, Washington D. C.
May 19, 2005 6:00 p.m.
By Aisha Chapra
On
the evening of May 19 Master Calligrapher, Rasheed Butt, opened an exhibition
of his works with a talk on the art of calligraphy at the Embassy of Pakistan.
Deputy Chief of Mission, Mohammad Sadiq introduced Mr. Butt as not only
an artist but “a philosopher”. Mr. Butt’s art is unique
and exquisite, displaying the beauty of classic Islamic art. He is the
president of Pakistan’s Calligraphy Association and a Jury Member
of the International Calligraphy Competition in Istanbul, Turkey. Mr.
Butt has spent over 40 years practicing the art of classic calligraphy.
In his works he has revived the practice of illumination from the tenth
century and he is the most prominent and world-renowned professional calligrapher
from Pakistan.
Mr. Butt thanked the over-flowing auditorium of guests and admirers for
“sparing the time to see the glorious Islamic art”. In a brief
history of calligraphy, he described how calligraphy was developed into
an art form. When Islam came into this world to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
only a handful of people could read or write. To spread the message of
the Almighty, the Qu’ran had to be written. This marked the beginning
of the art of Islamic calligraphy.
During the rule of Hazrat Ali the tradition to “illuminate
and illustrate the Qu’ran” in stylized script was started.
The Kufic style was developed in the city of Kufa, the capital of the
Muslim world in 656 A.D. Kufa for two centuries was one of the leading
centers for Muslim theology, for Arabic grammar, philology, literary criticism
and literature. Ibn-i-Mughul, a minister and scholar created six different
scripts of calligraphy during this century, including Naskh which is still
used today to write the Qu’ran. Naskh was the script created to
spread the message of the Almighty and it was one of the earliest to develop.
In the eighth century a new script, Nastaleeq or Khat Al Farsi, was developed
in Baghdad. The tradition to create new calligraphic styles continued
over the centuries. According to Mr. Butt the golden era of Islamic calligraphic
art was during “the Ottoman, the Mughal and the Sufavid empires”.
In Pakistan, Mr. Butt explained, there tend to be mainly commercial calligraphers,
instead of professional calligraphers. However, in the recent years there
has been a surge in support of Islamic art. He particularly mentioned
the Secretary General of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference),
Prof. Dr., Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as the greatest supporter and promoter
of Islamic Art. He has worked towards advancing calligraphy and calligraphers
around the world.
Mr. Butt laughingly said that when people see his work the most often
asked question is “How long did it take you to make this?”
He said it is because most people become captivated by the intricacy and
aesthetic beauty of the design and forget that calligraphy has literal
meaning.
Mr. Butt described that currently he is working on representing this era
through his art. “I have an absolute belief that Almighty chose
me to write his words”. He feels his work is serious and sacred—the
texts he chooses must be a message to all of mankind, not just Muslims.
Mr. Butt gave an example of such a message from the Qu’ran and it
was translated to “He who helps humanity, his name cannot be removed
from this earth”. Mr. Butt believes that through the appeal of Islamic
art, which goes beyond divisions of faith, ethnicities and race, it can
effectively battle the negative perceptions of Muslims since 9/11.
He finished his talk by telling the audience his philosophy on the purpose
of life. The first purpose is to pray to Almighty and the second is the
exploration of the universe.
Then, in an incredible display of his talent and his expertise Mr. Butt
drew Bismallah ul Rahman ur Rahim (In the name of Allah, most gracious,
most merciful) in less than three minutes in two different calligraphic
styles. The audience responded with spontaneous applause in awe of the
beauty Mr. Butt created simply with a marker on a poster. After the display,
the audience became engaged and people started asking questions about
the technical aspects of calligraphy. Mr. Butt told the audience that
each calligraphic script has a different science of proportion. It has
taken Mr. Butt years to study and perfect the various styles of classic
calligraphy.
Questions were asked about the paper and ink he uses to create his calligraphies.
Mr. Butt explained that making his own paper would take up to two years
and that is why he buys the best paper available in the market. Very matter
of fact, Mr. Butt said he believes that life is unpredictable and time
is of essence, so he must finish his work representing this era for the
upcoming generations as soon as he can. Thus, he does not take the time
to make his own paper or ink.
Finally, Mr. Butt was asked how he plans to pass on his knowledge to future
generations. “For three years I taught calligraphy through television,
and through that I have millions of students—my students write to
me, send in their calligraphies and I share with them my knowledge and
knowledge of other calligraphers around the world.”
The exhibition opened in the Jamshed Marker Hall at the
Embassy of Pakistan. It was full of people of all ages and ethnicities.
The exhibition was a remarkably beautiful display of Islamic art. Mr.
Butt’s works’ aesthetic value cannot be put into words. The
guests at the exhibition witnessed the splendor and glory of each of his
calligraphies. Pictures, some of them included in this article, cannot
do them justice.
