Continuing with its endeavour to make the visual arts more accessible to the LUMS community, the Gurmani Centre of Literature and Languages organised a calligraphy exhibition this semester. Man Pardêsî Jai Thee-ai (if the self suffers exile), an exhibition of calligraphy by Shah Abdullah Alamee. The exhibition opened on February 10, 2020 to a warm and enthusiastic response, and was curated by Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan and Dr. Fatima Fayyaz—professors of Art history and Persian at LUMS.
The seven sets of calligraphic creations on display depicted poetry from five different languages—Balochi, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Urdu. These verses centred around the theme of exile, and included the works of Mas‘ûd Sa‘ad Salmân, Guru Nanak, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ghani Khan Ghani, and Aṭâ Shâd. The artist had used the traditional Persian technique of siyȃh mashq to render them in vibrant colours and intricate designs. Commenting on his technique, Shah Abdullah said that he was drawn to siyȃh mashq because the overlapping of letters used in the style allowed him to “emphasise the distinctness of each harf while also depicting how the letters blend and come together to create the meaning of the verse.”
One of the most appreciated and eye-catching pieces was a diptych featuring Guru Nanak’s bânî, “man pardêsî jai thee-ai, sabh des parȃyȃ” (if the self suffers exile, no land is familiar)—in both Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi scripts. The Shahmukhi panel was inlaid with gold leaf, and the glittering background seemed to lend an ethereal aura to the Guru’s words—highlighting the ideas of transcendence undergirding them. The other pieces too, aptly represented the emotions associated with each verse. The shades of black used in the piece inspired by Faiz, for instance, beautifully captured the melancholy overtones of his verse“khayȃl su’ȇ vatan ravañ hai”.
Shah Abdullah was also present at the opening and intermingled with the audience, entertaining their questions over tea and refreshments. The Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, students and faculty from LUMS as well as art enthusiasts from outside the University, attended the opening. The exhibition was appreciated for the way it combined the University’s existing expertise in the humanities with the visual arts. Students and professors of regional languages and literatures were particularly delighted at the opportunity to engage aesthetically with the rich poetic traditions of these languages. The exhibition will remain on display till May 31, 2020, offering students a chance to engage with the work deeply.
