Gifted hands going strong at 60

Nothing has changed in the room. The small studio where Ustad Khurshid Gohar Qalam works has not changed in any way since I first met the great calligrapher two decades ago in this place.
The paints and boards, the three chairs for the visitors, and the same ambience of silence are still here.
It feels like you are in a place where there is something sacred. And there is this sacred matter that we call words of calligraphy.
Qalam in Urdu means pen. He has been blessed with the talent of replicating the verses of the Quran in different writing styles. He has been working as a professional calligrapher for 45 years.
The title of Gohar Qalam was given to him by calligraphy masters Nafees Raqam and Ghulam Nizamuddin.
Today his artworks are displayed in the palace of late king Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia. “Late president of Pakistan Farooq Leghari presented late Shaikh Zayed with my work of calligraphy, which was written on leather. Four of my artworks were brought by a representative of the ruler of UAE and taken to Shaikh Zayed palace in Rahim Yar Khan. Those calligraphic works were also written on leather,” Qalam said while talking to this scribe.
He is the only Pakistani calligrapher whose works are on permanent display in the British Museum in London, Ashmolean museum in Oxford and Eastern Art Gallery in Moscow.
His works include a copy of the Quran in the main state mosque known as the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad and includes 406 styles of calligraphy.
The manuscript weighing 1,600kg is divided into 30 parts, which have been placed in separate showcases.
His calligraphy is also displayed at Data Ganj Baksh shrine, which is considered the greatest honour for a calligrapher. The Pakistani government often presents his works as gifts to visiting heads of state.
Qalam has won international fame and is revered by young artists and he is a very simple and humble person.
He has never attempted to move his studio uptown or in more comfortable quarters. He continues to work at his studio located in a small plaza on Ferozepur Road.
“I have no desire to have any luxuries. Allah Almighty has blessed me with everything and given me good health to continue to do the sacred work he has given me. I don’t seek to have any award. My award is the respect that I have earned from people and my students who now must be in thousands.
Award winner
“There was a time when calligraphy was not considered an art. I did my best to convince people. The principal of National College of Arts Sajida Vandal recognised it as art. I was appointed to teach calligraphy there. I have been teaching there for the last 17 years,” Qalam said.
Qalam has received many of the top awards in the country, including the President of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance.
He was also awarded the highest honour by the foreign minister of Japan in 2005. He has to his credit 33 international exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Tokyo.
“I will turn 61 on June 26 this year. Some people say that after you turn 60 your start having difficulty in precision of your writing. But so far I am good by the grace of God and my hands are firm,” Qalam said.
Qalam has not only mastered the art of calligraphy but has also written extensively on the subject. He has to his credit 18 books. Five of his books have been prescribed by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in syllabi for undergraduate and masters degrees in fine arts.
“I love to read history and literature. Calligraphy is important in three monotheistic religions that is Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Writing verses of the Quran and Bible has always been considered a sacred work.
“I made a 30 episode TV series which explained the history of calligraphy. Then I wrote a 16 episode TV play — Pukar. It was about the history of Spain and Muslims’ contribution to art in that country.
“Every culture has its own calligraphy style. Take for example Japan, Korea and China. They give so much importance to calligraphy that they have made it compulsory in junior section classes. They have done it so that the children do not forget their roots.
“Similarly in Pakistan and other Muslim countries we should not forget our roots,” Qalam said.
He said his son Zahir Khurshid if following in his footsteps.
“He is studying visual communication design in the National College of Arts in Lahore. Since his childhood he has been writing calligraphy in different styles and is improving every day. It is up to him to choose his profession,” Qalam said.
Source : Gulf News