|
Encouraged by the Beary’s Group, young graphic designers have created magnificent Arabic Calligraphy on Ceramic Tiles which adorn the walls of an auditorium today.
Arabic calligraphy is an intricate art, which evolved with the spread of Islam. It did receive its growth in different regions such as Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Iran, Middle-East and parts of North East African nations. Today this art is dwindling due to lack of skilled craftsmen and the promoters alike. Recently this art received a new lease of life. It would certainly not be wrong if we call it facelift for this unique art of Arabic Calligraphy.
Bearys Group, a property development firm based in Bangalore, engaged Mohammed Ahmed on this task of experimenting Arabic calligraphy on an entirely new media. It is well known that on thin tiles with a lesser dimension printing using Hindu deities is popular here in India as they are produced in mass and also there is a vast market for it.
The humble start on this task of experimenting on Ceramic tile began with the selection of calligraphy from a book compiled and published in Pakistan. It is a remarkable book on calligraphy with various calligraphic images sourced out from across the world. The book was available with Darul-Uloom Sabeelur Rashad (Arabic College), Bangalore. The calligraphic work was for the auditorium of this madrasa itself which was being built and donated by the ‘Bearys Group’ to accommodate 1000 people. A photo copy of the selected Arabic Calligraphy was provided. The photo copy was taken to an expert graphic designer, Mohammed Zikriya, who is working with Novlas, a reputed Advertising firm. Zikriya was able to complete 80% of the job and later Mohammed Ahmed, a young graphic designer completed 20% of the remaining job. With this, the tracing out of the Quranic verses and couplets in Arabic praising Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was done.
The Calligraphy in itself was a complicated and time consuming task, each image had to be carefully proof read, before printing on the ceramic tile. In all, there were 18 Verses from Quran, each 2x2 ft, 4 images of the Couplet with a size of 2x5 ft, Ahlan Wasahlan (Welcome), 2x5 ft, back drop in 4x16 ft. and 8 sayings of the Prophet in 2 x 7 ft.
Each work created an image impact as the work is on milky white glossy 5mm thick floor tile mounted on the walls all around the interiors of the auditoria, lobby area of the auditoria and the entrance. The ink is specially prepared using crystal like stones available in varied colour forms. Then it is mixed using a thinner. Printing is very much similar to the normal screen printing, but here was a different media and the size which mattered the most. To emboss it with the ceramic tile, gloss powder is spread over the already printed matter using a thinly perforated screen mesh. This makes the visible calligraphy art stand out over the tile. Then the same is heated in a specialised oven. This process takes atleast 90 minutes. Then what comes out is an excellent work of art. The colour combination is Royal Blue for the Calligraphy and Parrot Green for the border and the edges again in Royal Blue. This combination worked wonders on the glossy milky white tiles.
Mohd. Ahmed says: “Initially, when I took up experimenting on this new media as Ceramic, I had to face lot of difficulties, print several times as tiles would break. As I continued, the entire work became simple and by Allah’s grace, I was successful in creating the replicas of this great work of Arabic art on ceramic”.
Konu, a master in the art of fixing of the tiles who hails from West Bengal, was just delighted at the opportunity to work on Arabic Calligraphy. Konu says: “I am working for the house of Lord, He shall reward us as many people will read this”.
|
|
