Calligraphers to be sent Turkey for training: Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP):Advisor to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH), Irfan Siddiqui Friday
said calligraphers belonging to the far flung areas of the country will be
given advanced training opportunity in Turkey to keep them abreast with the
modern trends of calligraphy.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard will
be signed with Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA),
Turkey, he revealed during the inaugural ceremony of week-long “Abdul
Majeed Parveen Raqam National Calligraphy Competition and Exhibition”, kicked
off here at a local hotel.
Calligrapher of Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) Mosque,
Ustad Shafeeq-uz-Zaman was the chief guest on the occasion.
Addressing on the occasion, Irfan Siddiqui said the
division has taken several measures to revive the neglected art of calligraphy
which has great importance due to its origin following the revelation of Holy
Quran.
He said the division has successfully arranged a
national and an international calligraphy exhibition last year which received
over-whelming response from the artist community.
He said the division has also
established a separate Calligraphy Wing to provide a platform to the youth for
learning calligraphy skills while the first-ever Directory of Calligraphers carrying
detailed information about the calligraphers is also being compiled which will
be launched soon.
He said the art works of calligraphers displayed in the exhibition will also be published
in the shape of book.
He said National Calligraphy Competition and
Exhibition will help discover talented Calligraphers from the remote corners of
the country and play vital role in the revival of this Islamic art.
He said it is heartening to see that Calligraphers
from far flung areas of the country including FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad
Jammu and Kashmir submitted their unique art pieces to the division for
participating in the competition which reflect their enthusiasm and love for
this ancient art.
He said around 400 calligraphic works were received
by the division from across the country out of which 90 were shortlisted. The jury
members comprising over senior calligraphers will select the best 15 calligraphic
works who will be awarded with cash prizes and certificates on the concluding
day of the event.
Irfan Siddiqui thanked Chief Executive Officer,
Serena Hotel, Aziz Bolani for extending cooperation for the event and also
appreciated support of Director, Satrang Gallery, Asma Rashid who assured to
initiate efforts for selling of art pieces of the young calligraphers.
Earlier, he along with Ustad
Shafeeq-uz-Zaman and diplomats from Iran, China, Korea, Sri Lanka and France
inaugurated the exhibition which will continue till February 28.
The Calligraphy Competition and Exhibition is
dedicated to a legendary calligrapher, Abdul Majeed Parveen Raqam to pay
tribute to his extra-ordinary contribution.
An exhibition of selected calligraphic art pieces will
continue in Satrang Gallery and will remain open for the general public during
the six-days.