Anis Siddiqui -A Saga of Calligraphy

Calligraphy is an art as old as human civilization. It reached its zenith of glory during medieval period and continues to fascinate the people who opt it as profession and to those who chance upon it and admire it in it’s entirely. Arguably the biggest name in the contemporary calligraphy, Anis Siddiqui is calligraphy personified. A true saga of calligraphy, Anis Siddiqui is an artist exploring and propagating the finer elements of calligraphy.             

He has learnt this art in his early days of learning from various doyens of calligraphy to master the art and attain the present status:

Three -year diploma in basic calligraphy under the guidance of (late) Maulana Ishtiaque Ahmad, founder of Calligraphy Department, Darul -Uloom Deobond, 1972-74.

Two -  year course In art and  designing  under  the  guidance  of   (late)  Shri  Radhay  Shyam ,     art  teacher of Jain  College, Deoband, 1973-74.

Two - year diploma in advance calligraphy under the guidance of (late) Khaleeque Tonki , from Ghalib Academy, New Delhi, 1979-80.

Certificate course in Graphic design, fine arts college J.M.I., New Delhi, under the guidance of Prof. Zhoor Zargar.

In 2001 he has learnt specially khat-e-thuluth from student of hashim mohammed al-baghdadi Siryan master calligrapher Mohammed alqaazi.

He has learnt Tibetan Calligraphy from a Tibetan expert in 2005.

Anis Siddiqui has dedicated his life to the art of calligraphy. He is teaching this art regularly since 1980. He taught along with his mentor, late Khaleeque Tonki, arguably the last among the doyens of calligraphy, and is his true successor since his death in 1992. Anis Siddiqui, in his illustrious career, has won many awards and laurels.

He is in Guest faculty in Fine Arts College at Jamia Millia.Islamia University N. Delhi. He teaches calligraphy here to students.

He received the first National Award in calligraphy at a very young age from the President of India in 1984. He was awarded by Urdu Academy Delhi, Government of NCR, Delhi, in 2006. He received an award for a senior calligrapher from Parwaz Media Group in 2010.  Kala Sewa, Ludhiana, conferred on him the 2004 title of “Father of Calligraphy” for promotion of calligraphy.

A versatile genius of calligraphy, Anis siddiqui has been associated with many organizations:

                Head of calligraphy section, ``Awaz” magazine of All India Radio, 1978-87.

                Head of calligraphy section, ``Inqlab”, (mid day publications) Urdu daily, New Delhi edition, 1987.

                Published and edited monthly ``Calligraphers”, 1987-90.

                Published and edited ``Anis-e-Qalam” in 1991.

                Founded ``Calligraphy Institute” in 1998, and ``Anis Foundation for Calligraphy and Arts” (Regd.) in 2004.

                Organized and founded ``Calligraphy Institute” Kota, Rajasthan, for the promotion of art of calligraphy in 2006.

Apart from his association with various calligraphic organizations and institutes, Anis Siddiqui has been engaged in popularizing the art of calligraphy at over 700 different places. He has organized or participated or called for over  3000 workshops, exhibitions, and demonstrations of calligraphy among the students and teachers of  Urdu, Hindi, Hebrew, Tibetan, Persian, Pashto, English and different types of Indian Languages from 1984. He calls as a judge in different calligraphy competitions through out the country.  His largest work on paper is 5X9 feet. He had been used the 6 inch. qalam in which dip in ink and write on paper. He has wrote a matter in 22 different style.

He has instructed, advised and reviewed over 5000 pages of calligraphic art pieces of expert calligraphers.

He has visited 5 countries abroad, Mauritius, Nepal, Iran, London, and Algeria. In Mauritius he participated in 3 exhibitions.

In following cities Anis Siddiqui, organize the exhibition, workshop, seminar and demonstration for the calligraphy art:

Kota, chittorgarh, Alwar, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pilani, Ganganagar, Tonk,  Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Manipal, Banglore, Bijapur, kollam, tiruananthapuram, kalikat, Palghat, kasargod, mallapuram, kottakal, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jabalpur, katni, raipur, Shahdol, Hyderabad, kurnool, lucknow, allahabad, Agra, Faizabad, Deoband, Saharanpur, Roorki, Jhansi, Kanpur, Varansi, Kolkata, Hugli, Ranchi, Jamashedpur, Dhanbad, bokaro, Patna, Muzzafarpur, Darbahga, Kishanganj, Biharsharif, Gaya, Nanital, Solan, Nahan, Cultural Academy Jammu & Kashmir and many more. He has visited approx 200 different cities in 20 states for the cause of promotion of calligraphy.

He has been organizing calligraphy workshops for SPIC MACAY, which has opened new routes for the development of calligraphy. He has gone 100 cities only for SPIC MACAY.

He has been interviewed 200 times by several TV channels demonstrating his art of calligraphy.  ETV Urdu channel made 130 episodes on calligraphy, where-in Anis Siddiqui   teaches this art. The program was telecast under ‘Urdu Hai Jiska Naam’ from 2001-2003 and still is telecast sometimes that shows its popularity and relevance. He had prepared panels of Rumi, Saadi and Amir Khusro, bullhe shah’s poems for an upcoming Bollywood film. He starts the use of calligraphy in crafts and wood cutting.  He helps in the preparing of Urdu software “Inpage”. He did calligraphy for Mirza Ghalib Haveli in Delhi.  He is coordinating with NCPUL from 1978.

From 1984 to 2004, he trying to unite the calligraphers for this he organized a large number of meetings. Only in 1989-1990 in between ten months he organized 25 meetings.  He helps in making various documentary films. He is the examiner of calligraphy for various schools and has served as judge of calligraphy competitions. He starts the trend of calligraphy exhibition which didn’t happen before.

 He participates or organizes or coordinates in 150 calligraphy exhibitions. At Ghalib Academy, New Delhi, on 1984, April, a ceremony and exhibition organized by students, friends and Ghalib academy, when he was received national award from the Indian Government. At Ghalib Academy, in 1985, he was participated a meeting and an exhibition for making the first syllabus of Calligraphy course of Bureau for promotion of Urdu language, (HRD Govt. of India) for Calligraphy centers. In 1986, he was participated in an Exhibition and demonstration Triveni Kala Sangam, mandi house, N.Delhi. He attends a demonstration and exhibition “Apna utsav” at khidki village, N.Delhi, in 1986. In 1988, he participated in 60 days Akara Exhibition organized by Indra Gandhi National Center for Arts, New Delhi where he attended workshops in Urdu calligraphy. In 1990 an exhibition was organized by Tibet house, at India habitat center, in which only two calligraphers he and shounki yegahi had been participated. In 1995, he was the organizer of an exhibition in which the more than 300 calligraphy work of the 102 top most calligraphers, presently working calligraphers and students were exhibited at Ghalib Academy. He organized an exhibition of calligraphy works of Delhi Calligraphers, in 1996, at Ghalib Academy. His calligraphic portraits depicting Allama Iqbal’s poems were exhibited at Birmingham in the exhibition “Iqbal and Fine Arts” in 1996. Anis Siddiqui and his student’s calligraphy works on more than 200 poetry of Ghalib and exhibited at Ghalib academy, New Delhi was inaugurated by Hakim abdul hameed founder of hamdard University in 1997. He was the Chief organizer of an exhibition of calligraphy works of Indian Calligraphers at Iran Culture House, in nov.1999. He was the chief organizer of celebration of Maah-e- Mubarak (Ramzan) was celebrated at Iranian Culture House and an exhibition was also held, where painted and wood crafted Calligraphy work of Iranian and Indian Calligraphers was exhibited in 1999. From 1995 to 2004, 11 exhibitions were had been held in same pattern at ghalib academy and Iran Culture House. In 2000 – 2001 in Urdu Book Fair, stalls had given by NCPUL to anis siddiqui and for his calligraphy institute at lal quila ground. He participated in 2000 at India today art gallery in an exhibition His calligraphic painting on the poetry of Ghalib were displayed in ``Andaz-e-Ghalib’’, an exhibition by ICCR, Govt. of India, in 2003 at Sopru house, New Delhi. His more than 300 works and his 75 student’s works exhibited at Women College, bharat nagar chowk, ludhiana. He had attended exhibition, workshops and seminar in 2005 January at salarjang museum Hyderabad, he was a president for one session. In 2003 – 2011 at ludhiana, Anis Siddiqui and his students calligraphy works exhibited by sangeeta’s gallery, kala sadhna, kala seva and sutluj club. In 2006 march , he attended exhibition “article 19” as a chief guest. In 2003-2011, he organized various exhibitions at kota jodhpur , different cities of kerala, thapar university patiyala, iit saharanpur roorki, munna lal college, jalandhr lpu,. He was participated in Sufi Rang Calligraphy Festival, Exhibition and Demonstration in 2010 - 2014, at Ajmer Sharif. He was participated in Art Exhibition 2011, on Islamic Arts & Architecture, was held in M.F. Hussain Art Gallery, JMI University, New Delhi in 2011. He was participated in Delhi Urdu Heritage Festival, at Red Fort Ground, Delhi which is organized by Delhi Urdu academy, 2011-2013, and Delhi state government. He demonstrated about calligraphy, Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, N. Delhi, in 2012. He was participated in an international exhibition organized by Qalamkari Foundation and workshop about Calligraphy in Feb. 2012 at India International Center, New Delhi. He participated in an exhibition and gave a workshop about calligraphy, Akshra Creating Indian Script organized by Dastkari Haat Samiti at India Habitat center, New Delhi in 2012. He participated in an exhibition ONE ASIA GROUP in dec. 2012. He organized a solo exhibition of his calligraphy art at kota art gallery, kota and ambaugarh art gallery, udaipur, in 2013.  He participated in “Jaipur Art festival” in April 2014. He participated in an exhibition at IIC which is organized by international Buddhist confederation in august, 2014.

In 2013, a documentary film released “the tears of dancing letters” based on calligraphy art. The screening of this film at kota art gallery, ambau art gallery udaipur, MNNIT allahabad, velhem boys Dehradun, NTPC anta, JNU jaipur, iim lucknow, an exhibition was also held at this time.

He was invited by Mauritian Government to teach the art of calligraphy to Mauritian teachers in 1991. He was invited by the Iranian Government to participate in an International Exhibition in the year 2001 and was bestowed with honors and prizes. He was gone London for a demonstration and exhibition on Calligraphy in 2011. He was gone to Algeria to participate in the “INDIAN WEEK” at “TLEMCEN –the Islamic cultural capital of the world for the year 2011”.

His fluency in calligraphy makes him a reviewer and advisor of the Calligraphy. He is writing expert and is often asked for his help by various advocates of Delhi.

He developed different routes for promotion of calligraphy and established various societies with different other calligraphers. He is working hard steadily for the promotion of art of calligraphy in a unique way. He is famous for calligraphy in different languages. He gave beauty to English calligraphy.

He has authored four books to teach calligraphy using various dots and geometrical lines. One is ``Urdu Calligraphy’’, second is ``English Calligraphy’’ for self study, third is ``Learn Calligraphy’ for beginners and his fourth is “The Art of Calligraphy”. He prepared own fifth book “Johadul khat”  based on work of Master Calligraphers, own and those students whose pass out the Advance Calligraphy Course in 1996.  Anis Siddiqui is successful at his exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops and is appreciated for his efforts and works. He is always keen to offer himself for the cause of calligraphy.

His coming books are:

*Calligrapher’s Directory.

                *Calligraphy in Newspapers and Magazines.

*Anis Siddiqui (Autobiography).

*Master calligrapher Khaleeq Tonki.

*Master Calligraphers And Calligraphy schools (Deoband, lucknow and Delhi)

**Advance Calligraphy. /Tughras of Bismillah.

                ** (Urdu) Calligraphy for Self Study.

**Indian Monumental Calligraphies.*Indian traveler calligrapher ki zabaani, calligraphy ki kahaani.

His collection includes thousand’s of calligraphic art pieces, cutting of Newspapers and magazines. He has in his collection more than 800 books related to calligraphy. There are a large number of monumental calligraphic photographs from different cities in his collection. Now-a-days he is collecting information on thousands of Indian calligraphers to compile art of calligraphy from monuments.

He has been morally supported by some prominent personalities of his time in addition, Iran Culture House, New Delhi and National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, Ministry of H.R.D. Government of India New Delhi.

               

Contact:

Anis H. Siddiqui:

189/1, khampur, west patel nagar , New Delhi- 110008.

Mob: 9868929064, 9810076064, 011-25701835. e-mail:calligraphyinstitute@gmail.com.

Website: www.calligraphyinstitute.com, www.calligraphyinindia.com