THE WORLD OF MOHAMMAD DIN MOHAMMAD'S CALLIGRAPHY

THE WORLD OF MOHAMMAD DIN MOHAMMAD’s CALLIGRAPHY
Mohammad Din has left us in May 2007 and we were utterly shock of the news. An artist, who at its peak of his career suddenly left us. What always keep him in our mind and heart, is purely because of the friendship we has built, his intriguing art and also his brilliant colours of calligraphic series. But no doubt, some art pieces with monochrome treatment, equally impart the same power.
During my friendship with the late artist, I learned a great deal about Islamic art. That triggers me to carry out a research on that subject. I become more knowledgeable and also managed to write few articles on Islamic art and history. The most important motive writing these articles, is not only to educate the masses, but to re-establish the powerful and influential words from the Quran. Through this friendship, I became more appreciative about Islamic Art.
When he first started, he paints about nature, portraits of tourist and foreigners, spectrum of mystical colors and energy. During the mid 90’s he transforms his mystical energy theme into more challenging Islamic calligraphy works. With this new found exploration, the artist went in depth in searching for his own style of calligraphy.
The late Mohammad Din Mohammad vision encompasses the universal aspects of existence. The creative works that Mohammad Din Mohammad generates lives within his soul, mind and beliefs. Many do not realize that the development of creating his art lives within a concept of humanity and religion. The growth of modern technology does not dampen his productive and dynamic disposition that made him among the most progressive in this region.
Many of his resources were gathered through his artistic journey, and collecting reusable stuff with addition to his personal vision, Mohammad Din recreates a new dimension of art. The grotesque looking sculpture spawns inescapable intrigue questions and comments. His intimacy with his art pieces and the epitome of his aggressive approach, indeed moving towards an optimistic future.
With elements of exotic nature, the beauty of cultural richness and the focus on Islamic scripture, Mohammad Din works will be effortlessly adopt to a unanimous ground. A passionate artist with international acclaim, was in love everything mystical and spiritual. It was this divine passion for mysticism that inspired his bold, vibrant and glorifying the words of Allah.
The artist deep passion on Islam and Sufism not only inspired him to explore a new dimension in Islamic calligraphy and develop the splendour of nature and secrets beyond existence. His philosophy of Islamic art has always been about praising The Almighty Allah. His world of calligraphy is indeed distinctive. He once said, he is nothing and Allah is everything, and that motivates his ideas, creativity, desires, and passion into scripts that glorify Allah in a form of calligraphic odyssey that empowers the viewers. But yet, praises he said are only for Allah, to whom all worthy praises belong.
Mohammad Din often practices his formal calligraphy writing with a qalam (bamboo pen). The artist seeks the knowledge from a great calligraphy teacher, Hussein Sirazi from Iran for formal calligraphy writing. But, when he paints into a canvas, he breaks the barrier of formal calligraphy writing into explorations of mystical and meaningful word of the Quran. He basically do not want to be rigid in experiencing his art, therefore he breaks the barricade and experimenting with different approach and effects. It is the manifestation of the beauty of the scripture and his desire to enrich his through potential.
He’s the only artist passionately paints with his bare hands and fingers. He believes his uncharacteristic skills and approach facilitate to propel Islamic art into a new level. Through his bare fingers and palms, Mohammad Din transfers his God given energy and spiritually on the canvas with colours fluid and vibrant, direct from the tube, and he believes the viewer able to feel the power of God, the Ultimate Creator.
Before his passing’s, he introduced the technique of ‘ebru’, an old Turkish art of paper marbling which results in fluidity that mesmerise the beholder.
Verses from the Quran for eg, Salam Min Qawlam Mir rabirahim, signifies his understanding of the meaning. Many of his works truthfully praise the Greatness of Allah. We can see many of his works in different color schemes, for eg Allahu Akbar. The unrevealed of Yasin and Ha Mim Shod, further exploring, the existence of the Creator. Monochromes or gratifying colors, Mohammad Din Mohammad’s works sincerely about being unique. He wants his style to be different than other Calligraphic artist, and hence his voyage looking for the right path can be seen in most of his calligraphic works. This is presence in Alhamdulillah series.
A rippling strength contained through discipline, mental discipline of calligraphy, dominates the works of Mohammed Din Mohammad. He was worried when starting his own style of calligraphy during the mid-90’s, concerned that the unorthodox treatment of words from the Quran would not gain acceptance; that it might be considered sacrilegious to directly use his hands to write out the text. But eventually he found the courage to use his Western-style training in this medium.
Traditionally, Islamic calligraphy is carried out with a bamboo pen; a stylised art. Din prefers to innovate, bringing an almost abstract quality to his works; phrases lost in layers of paint. It does not look like orthodox calligraphy. A channeled energy, explosions of colour, abound; unusual (purists may say out of place) in this discipline. "To begin with, I didn´t have the guts to work in this format," reflects Din. "But the works developed, probably from my nature. I´m not scared of confrontation, so I decided that I would face those who wouldn´t like my style let them come to me. But no one has complained, and I seem to have gained respectability."
There is a three-dimensional quality to Din´s work; a result of his unique technique.
Squeezing paint directly onto the canvas, Din then blends colours using his hands. His mastery of silat is apparent in his graceful application of the paint. Holding his hands, as though in supplication, between bouts of activity, he works from the heart. "I use symbols that are part of my life, verses that are part of my everyday existence. I then nurture these in my heart, until it is time to transfer it to my hands, when it becomes like a blasting of emotion. I plan out what I am going to do, the colours I use, but it becomes an explosion."
“Above all, it should remind us of the almighty Creator. I am a small creator reminding himself of the big one. Not that I can do the same, but showing that we have been created.
There is a great mystical message about who is in charge.
During the early stage of his calligraphic series, he feels that it is the Muslim community in Malaysia and Singapore found great difficulty accepting his work. Internationally, he feels part of a wider renaissance of Islamic art, with artists from Iran, Indonesia and the West all innovating and injecting new techniques and ideas into established genre. But here he finds it more difficult to find acceptance as an indigenous artist, particularly in dealing with Islamic themes.
His works is as close as Zikir (remembrance of Allah). We as human must always be reminded of our creator, as by nature, we are persistently a forgetful being. There are various ways in remembering the creator. We give something to the needy is also one way of remembrance the Almighty. And when we recite his verses, is also another approach in remembrance of Allah.
With elements of exotic nature, the beauty of cultural richness and the focus on Islamic scripture, the mysticism suffusing Din´s work is at home in this Peninsula; this archipelago.
Though, the mystical journey of his life has ended, but sincerely we pray for Allah’s blessing on his second route of Journey. As he always told me before, Life is always a voyage. This reflects on his Journey and Voyages Series.
Mohammad Din left this world on 31 May 2007, just one week after his 52nd birthday, to continue his journey to meet his maker. Although his body has departed, his passion, and his energy, his art and his legacy, his spirit and his soul linger on.
Now with a gallery in Malacca, his spirits of calligraphy are getting more queries In talks, seminars and also exhibition. These are unquestionably the right path to follow.

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