THE NEW AGE CALLIGRAPHER: Budgam girl finds her love in revitalizing dying art of Calligraphy

Dipping her brush in the calligraphy ink for scribbling beautiful words in her stunning handwriting, she comes up with exclusive pieces of calligraphy designs. A simple but high thinking, Fashion Designer-cum-Calligrapher,Nadiya Mushtaq Mir, who hails from Kralpora village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, has create a niche for herself in beautiful art of calligraphy at a very young age and aims to spread it further. Nadiya shares her art and its journey in an exclusive interview with Imtiyaz Pandow. 

Give us a brief introduction about yourself, educational and family background. And what you are currently engaged with other than calligraphy?

I was born and brought up in Srinagar. Currently live in Kralpora village of central Kashmir’s Budgam District. I received my Master’s degree in Economics from Kashmir University. I am a certified Fashion Designer. I did my Diploma in Advanced Fashion Designing from ITI Srinagar. Being an educational family background my parents are working in Private and Government Sectors and my Grandfather has served as Deputy Registrar. Other than Calligraphy currently i am also engaged with the job of fashion designing.

What was your aim when you were a student, did this writing changed your aim?

Calligraphy in any way never hindered me, but actually helped me. I have been interested in Fashion Designing since my childhood. I was sketching the designs on my notebooks. Later when i was at high school I commenced to create my own designs on clothes, bags and other daily usable items. It was the time when actually i had no idea what exactly i was doing. I made a lot of stuffs by myself and that experience not only boosted me but made me realize the real power of designs on anything, in that you can control how you are perceived and what you communicate as Design is a language all of its own.

What inspired you to become a Calligrapher?

My self-made designs are actually I am inspired with. I believe it was actually my self prepared designs that made me interested in Calligraphy, logos and other designs.  It taught me the art of building elementary things in life assiduously bit by bit. I actually wanted to showcase my designs exclusively on something very different apart from fabrics, and finally I did it on Kitchen Tiles and then on Canvas.

Why you choosed Calligraphy as a career of your life, why not other forms of art tell about the main point that lead you to opt this profession?

I never choosed Calligraphy as a career of my life, actually to be engrossed in this art work, there is inner gratification, solace & comprehensive relief that I sense which  I think is greatly imperative to me. There is nothing that has been the compulsion for me to choose Calligraphy as a career, but actually it occurred just fortuitously.

What are the hardships you have faced and are facing now to stay connected with this art of Calligraphy?

In all forms of art, mostly in Islamic Calligraphy one cannot afford to be average, it has to be flawless in all forms. It costs a lot of energy, hard work, dedication, commitment, perfection, inimitability, and novelty, so one engaged with this profession must own ample endurance. Coming to the point of designing the vital stationary including colors, calligraphic tools, and designing tools needed compulsorily for this art are seldom available in our city. Besides this, frequent erratic Internet networks is of great troublesomeness as most of the clients contact me online and there needs a complete communication during that phase, which is really upset at times.

Share the experience of your journey from student to artist and artist to a calligrapher and now as a successful calligrapher. Tell us about your opening and now current status.

Since childhood, I always was inclined to designs. Each and every time i used to see a design or an art piece or a calligraphy painting anywhere was making me curious about it. Every artwork that i witnessed since childhood dignifiedly shaped me.
There is a thin line between designs and Calligraphy; i often find myself trying to balance the both.

Does calligraphy satisfies you, that you suppose to get after doing your work?

I believe Calligraphy, a blessing for me so as to make my career out of it, and fortunately it seems to have worked for me. Calligraphy and design creations are profoundly about endurance, craving and enthusiasm for me. I have never felt like i have had a varied choice in doing what i do for a long time now, but there is a lot of peace and joy to be found along the way.  I spend a lot of time drawing, studying, thinking about new designs, and reading about them. I actually live this. Overtime it has developed a strong emotional connection pure bond to Calligraphy. Calligraphy offers me an influential form of Self-expression. It feels like time-honored and long-lived magic to me, which is a course what it is.

How your family supported you when you opted this profession as a career of your life and now do they support you to achieve your goals?

Masha ‘Allah my family, my exceptional angelic supporters and well-wishers have always been substantiated very supportive for me. Whatever i have been able to achieve so far would have not been possible for me without their keen love and kind support. There constant support to rejuvenate my enthusiasm has always proved fateful for my consistency in this profession. Every time they have been the motivation behind achieving and pursuing my ambition.

What are your future plans? Do you want to continue it or you have any other plans?

I really wish to continue this work. I am ambitious. My attitude towards ambition is like ‘if you don't set bit weird, amazing and passionate goals in life then how wonderful things are going to be happen’?  I would like to become well established in the field of art and fashion. I would like to find a conventional gallery in the valley to work with that would help me better to facilitate that. I'm not saying i will achieve it, but i just wish to. I would only say the best piece of art work has a timeless, enduring and undying beauty. I need to make sparkling and dynamic use of social media to make people aware of this Calligraphy artwork I do. And my objective is to develop a well accomplished group of Islamic Calligraphers in Kashmir. It is an art of Excellence and lot of Persistence.

Have you faced any challenges in this field on the basis of gender?

No, gender has never been a challenge for me in this field. I have never faced anything like such that would make me realize that gender actually matters. I think there is no scope for gender variations in this field.

Tell us the opportunities and challenges in this field especially in Kashmir?

Challenges and impediments did arise that I would never have expected. I better prefer to think about the positive things but this choice of career is not an easy ride. I had submitted and exhibited my art work pieces in "KHUSH KHAT" (A celebration of Islamic Calligraphy in Kashmir) on July 17, 2017 near Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta Srinagar. The event was organised by the Dept. of Tourism in collaboration with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Rest it has been a learning experience with constant ups and downs. All you need to have a good entrepreneur mind. I know that, even having spent less than a year working at this, i still have a lifetime ahead of me. Rest got few opportunities but I better preferred to do it on my own independently. If an amazing opportunity is offered to me I seriously will consider it.

Do you get satisfactory earnings from this profession?

Yes, but not that much. I will say "The best work often moves and awes people".

What you want to say to the budding and aspiring calligraphers of the valley.

You are more powerful than you know. Each one of you is already a distinctive and valuable person, so be a hard worker, and you will never know how amazing and efficacious you could be. It is crazy, a little overwhelming at times, when you get a lot of appreciations for your hard work. I would only say developing a profound understanding of anything requires total dedication and commitment to any field.  Profound mastery requires everything, heart, soul and a lot of time. The road ahead is challenging and daunting but very exciting at the same time. Learn as much about calligraphy art as possible. It is an art of gigantic endurance that will help you in achieving accomplishment. Anyone can do marvelous things but all you need is to believe in yourself very instinctively.