1) Tell us about yourself and what drew you to Islamic Calligraphy?
I’m Ahmad Danish, a pre-university student with Islamic Calligraphy as a side hustle. I studied khat (a subject that Arabic schools offer to promote Arabic calligraphy, also means calligraphy in Arabic) for two years and from there I was drawn to it. Sooner i moved away from the school to study at a science college and therefore nobody to tutor me with calligraphy. I started to teach myself until April 2021 when Brunei Khat Centre organised a competition in which I got third place, and I got some comments that needed me to improve my writings. I researched further and finally I was able to find a malaysian calligraphy trainer, Ustadz Ahmad Jurjani HIshamuddin to tutor me through online classes.
From there I started to improve and receive an ijazah sanad (traditional diploma through transmission) in one of the calligraphy scripts. Currently I am still studying with him and his assistant, Ustadz Yasir Amrullah, in studying the other scripts.
2) Can you tell us more about your creative process?
Khat is quite a complicated process. To master this art one must study under a certified trainer (regarded as a traditional method, alternatively one can self study this art but it would take a longer time, so it is best that in this context the trainer is regarded as a 'catalyst') as it is a precision art. I would also say that the creative process is based on the student-trainer relationship. When studying under Ustadz Jurjani and Ustadz Yasir, I would email them my writings and they would correct mine using red ink. This process repeats until they deem me worthy of writing my own ijazah to prove that I am able to write the script studied independently.
3) Who are your biggest calligraphy artist influences?
Well of course, both my trainers are my biggest influences, but there are others who I regard as big influences towards me as well. Wissam Shawkat for example is a self trained calligrapher but now he is regarded as one of the best innovative calligraphers out there, as he is one of the daring calligraphers to invent his own script/style known as al-Wissam. Another is Ustadz Teguh Prastio who recently won the IRCICA 2022 Calligraphy Competition.
4) In your works, what other art forms do you draw upon outside of the calligraphy world?
Not usually. I usually stick with traditional art forms of calligraphy, to maintain its originality. Occasionally to spice things up, I take inspiration from abstract paintings, or any pieces that tessellates or are made out of repetitive patterns, because for some reason it does complement the traditional fixed look of khat.
5) How would you want to be remembered as an artist?
I honestly don't want to be remembered for anything specific. Although, I do want to be a trainer to pass down my knowledge to others. I dream of opening my own physical calligraphy class one day.
6) Do you think today’s art of Islamic Calligraphy meets the expectations of the audience today and how should it progress?
Nope. I believe in our society jawi (to some extent even arabic) writings are dying, even though we see them at simpang signs, shop signs and others, but i feel some of us regard it as a decoration or for formal purposes only. and dying jawi script means that there might be less market for calligraphy because who buys things they cannot fully appreciate? (cannot be applied to contemporary post-modern art lol). I think the audience in this society would require a new form of art, and society always changes, and most things are, but I feel that khat, with its strict precise rules and dimensions of writing would not change. I do agree at some point that tools used, background design and medium can change but the rules are rules. Arabic calligraphy can progress when it is preserved, but I do believe at a certain point it can also progress while being innovated. There is of course a grey area where calligraphers can debate about this topic.
From another perspective, all types of calligraphy were used practically, to scribe letters and official documents, and nowadays calligraphy is replaced with modern keyboards in such a way that calligraphy is reduced to a basic function; decorative purposes. Therefore the audience requires calligraphers to be artists, not just calligraphers.
7) What are your hopes for the future of Islamic calligraphy and where do you see it heading?
I do sincerely hope that there is a better future for khat, I do not know how, but someday I would like to hope that everyone is able to appreciate khat as a beautiful unique type of art.