The art works spun around Arabic calligraphy weave a meta narrative of sorts. While the letters are etched out in the most artful manner, they are also placed in an artscape that compliment the literal meaning embodied in them. The sculpting of this unique space of discourse was meditative for Muhammed Shahal. After more than a decade of dabbling with the demands of advertising industry, when Shahal had put to sleep the yearning to let go and rule the canvas, he was assigned to design a calendar for an overseas client a few months ago. “The practice of blending calligraphy with commercial designs is quite common in the Gulf counties. When I started working on the project, which was to design a calendar with one holy name of Allah on each page, I realised that I was emotionally and spiritually involved in the whole process. By the time I had finalised the designs for the twelve names I had chosen myself, I knew I had to dust my paint palette,” says Shahal, who had long forgotten all about his degree in fine arts. Shahal has worked with most of the leading ad agencies in Thiruvananthapuram and has an impressive client list to his credit. “Designing for print ads has its own dynamics and the art execution is done with a variety of factors in mind. Painting, on the other hand is a painful process for me. But, it has to be addressed and the satisfaction one derives is unparalleled,” he says. From the ninety nine names of Allah mentioned in the Quran, he chose twelve for visual representation. “They were chosen because I thought they were the most relevant in the social and cultural context of the present-day world. I have used the meanings of these names as the anchor to which I have bonded a concept – both visual and ideological,” he says. The letters are thus combined with Moorish art, Turkish pottery, Arabian ornamental artefacts and such objects of aesthetic appeal which are extensions or appendices to the concept represented by the names. ‘Ar Raheem’, which translates to ‘The most merciful’ is a painting with images that represent the royal dining of Arabian emperors; “an intentional irony”, says the artist. ‘Al Muhaymin’ which means ‘The Guardian’, stands out from the rest of the paintings with its silhouette of a sail boat on a rough sea. “I wanted to break the monotony of the abstracts. And besides, I also wanted to bring in the visual impact of seeing the depth of the ocean against which the sail boat is placed.” Shahal’s eye for the visual appeal is also evident in the varying sizes canvas. While there are large paintings such as ‘As Swaboor’ (The Most Patient), portraying a desert storm, most of the other works are small verticals or horizontals. “There are only twelve paintings and I wanted each works to retain its individuality,” he says. The exhibition is being held at Energy Art Gallery, Kowdiar, opposite Raj Bhavan and will conclude on December 27.
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