Devotion to spiritual expression

LAHORE

Neyyar Ehsan Rashid’s 20 years of devotion to spiritual expression on canvas through her masterful calligraphy superimposed on innovations of landscape and abstractions was put on display at Alhamra Art Gallery on Monday.

The work titled “Flowers of Devotion” includes one hundred names of Holy Prophet (PBUH) and commenced nearly twenty years ago. Based on her extensive knowledge of flowers, Neyyar Ehsan Rashid has painted images of a range of flowers to express her deep devotion to the various facets of the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). She endeavored to match the qualities depicted in the numerous names with the characteristics of the various flowers through her artistic calligraphic representation. The present paintings on the names of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) have been compiled in the form of a book. 

Based on these paintings, the late Arif Mansoor Khan has provided poetic verses in Urdu, which have simultaneously been presented in English by Dr Adrian Husain and rendered into Arabic by Abu Saleh Bablesi from Jordan. The renowned calligrapher Dr Nassar Mansour provided the Arabic calligraphy. It is hoped that the artistic calligraphy along with the poetic verses in Urdu, English and Arabic will be a source of inspiration for the mind and soul of the readers.

Born in Hyderabad (Deccan) to Nawab Ahsan Yar Jang and Afsar Jahan Begum, from an early age, Neyyar had the honour of being tutored by a renowned teacher of calligraphy, Ustad Shamshir Ali. Her interest in art grew over the years and she took regular instruction in drawing and oil painting from Ustad Abdul Qayyum, specialising in portrait painting.

In late 1949, she migrated to Pakistan. One of her earliest important portraits was that of Nawab Mushtaq Ahmad Khan Gurmani that she painted in London in 1950.

The Portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, by her, in the Quaid’s office at the Government House, Karachi is another masterpiece.

During her stay in Jordan, in the early eighties, she became immersed in the artistic representation of the names of the Almighty and the Quranic verses. This was to become an all-encompassing preoccupation that she has passionately pursued for over the past four decades.

Her works depicting the 99 names of the Almighty, some gilded in pure gold leaf, won her great accolades and was published in Karachi as To God Belong The Names Most Beautiful.

She granted the publication rights jointly to the Islamic Research Institute at the International Islamic University in Islamabad and the George Washington University in Washington DC.

In addition, two further projects are on display, which include eight calligraphic works of the Sura Fatehah and fifty paintings on the Sura Rehman. A forthcoming publication based on the Sura Fatehah containing the English translation and tafseer by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad with the eight calligraphic works is being prepared.