Turquoise Mountain: Calligraphic Panel

Type of Art

Calligraphy

Member

Turquoise Mountain

Event

UNESCO Day of Islamic art

Ustad Ali Baba Awrang is Chairman & Member of Afghanistan Calligraphy Association and Member of Iranian Calligraphy Association.

Ustad Ali Baba Awrang is well-known Afghan contemporary calligrapher

The calligraphic panel was produced by Ustad Alibaba Awrang for the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. He follows a deeply emotive response in developing his work, expressing the feelings in his heart, and saw this as an exceptional opportunity to achieve a new level of excellence.

The panel is a triptych in Nastaliq of Surah Fatihs, expressed in three closely placed panels on canvas stretched onto three wooden frames. The visual focus is a central rounded calligraphic element with a density of lettering that creates an almost solar effect illuminated with gold and silver leaf. The soft edges span out to the outer areas of the artwork, bathed in deep blues and blacks, with highlights in brighter blue and touches of red with a strong sense of movement throughout the calligraphy.

Hazrat Hafez

Ali Babe Awrang explains his relationship with art.

Works of art are the result of the pure and rich moments of an artist's life, the source of these pure moments is the environmental, social and time conditions in which the artist lives.  

Biography of Ustad Ali Baba Awrang

Born in 1972 in Ghazni province of Afghanistan. Ustad Awrang graduated from Association of Calligraphy of Iran with a Masters degree in 2019. He has worked as a calligrapher in a range of cultural, social, and educational institutions as well as in national and international humanitarian organizations for Afghanistan. Until 2022, he was Head of the calligraphy and miniature department at Turquoise Mountain Institute in Kabul. He has exhibited his work internationally, including contributing work to East-West Diwan at the Venice Biennale, to Living Traditions at the National Art Gallery of Pakistan, and to Ink from Ashes at Beit al- Qur'an in Bahrain.

Legacy and Impact

Ali Baba has led the way in calligraphy masterpieces in contemporary Naqashi Khat and Nastaliq style of calligraphy. In 2017 he published his first calligraphy book showing 129 artworks created over the last decade. Ustad Awrang is the author of a number of books on the art of calligraphy and has exhibited his work across Afghanistan, and internationally in Pakistan, Bahrain, Turkey, Dubai and at the Venice Biennnale.

More on Turquoise Mountain's Virtual Exhibition below:

Discover the prayer rugs that fusion historical knowledge and local skills from transnational travels. Find out about the ancient technique of stone carving, the iconic Islamic geometric art of carved mosque doors, and the divinely inspired art of calligraphic panels. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn about the lost art of wood mosaic carving in the wooden minbar and the Quran stands.

In Honor of the UNESCO International Day of Islamic Art, Turquoise Mountain a pioneer in crafts preservation and artistic stewardship showcases beautiful pieces of Islamic art from around the world. Discover the work of Maryam Omar, who has great skills and knowledge.