A world within words
What does a beautiful work of calligraphy evoke in you? For most, it is an admiration for the artist’s creativity and sense of aesthetics, but for artist Nikheel Aphale, it is also a medium to convey higher concepts of humanity, spirituality and divinity.
The Bengaluru-based artist who uses the Devanagari script in his work, says when he rst began dabbling in calligraphy he would use Latin as well, since these were two languages he had learnt in college.
“After attending a few exhibitions and international events, I realised Indian scripts are so beautiful and we are blessed to have a spectrum of languages. The world knows of Japanese or Persian calligraphy, but not about Indian scripts. That is when I decided to focus solely on Devanagiri so the world could know its magnicence,” says Nikheel.
According to Nikheel, there is a lot we can learn about life from Indian scripts.
“I corelate concepts such as humanity and unity in diversity with our use of grammar. For example, there are no silent letters in Devanagiri, which tell me everybody has a voice and a right to their opinion. Second,
there are no uppercase or lowercase alphabets — everybody is on the same level — denoting equality,” he says.
“Finally, the jodakshar or joint alphabets show a symbiotic relationship where we help each other form a meaningful word,” he adds.
A close look at Nikheel’s work shows a world within words. “I believe in going beyond what is usually seen and presenting this script in a contemporary manner,” he says, elaborating on the title of his show, Nirakar Aakar (Formless Form).
“There are a few concepts which are di¯cult to describe so I try to depict or give form to them with my art.”
Divinity and spirituality are two other concepts Nikheel presents in this show. “Everyone’s understanding of the divine is di¦erent. My perception of gods and goddesses stem from the stories I heard from my grandmother. Using just letter forms I have created what Ganesha is to me, while another piece titled Anjani Suta is my idea of how Hanuman as a child wanted to catch the sun thinking it was a red ball.”
Yet, these depictions are not obvious, says Nikheel, unless one is looking for them.
His series on Spirituality are about the universal message of compassion, freedom and harmony, he adds.
Though the 34 pieces on display were specically created for this show,
“They are a continuation of my ongoing practice,” says the artist who not only uses calligraphy ink, brushes and tools, but also improvises with “scotch brite, tooth brushes and coconut husk” among other things to express himself on paper.
Such gravitas was not always part of his work. The former graphic designer immersed himself in fulltime calligraphy in 2010 as his pass time became a passion.
“It began when I used to doodle to while away time when I was working in Delhi. I was living away from home and practising calligraphy as a hobby.”
“I started posting my work on my blog; the positive feedback and responses from a few international calligraphy artists encouraged me to keep working on this,” he says, adding he soon began putting his talent to “functional use” by decoratively penning content for family and friends.
“It was wonderful to see my letters take on di¦erent forms. That is how it all began,” he says.
His inspiration comes from the script itself. “I am obsessed with the form of Devanagiri letters.”
Nirakar Aakar will be on display online on artisera.com until May 12, 2024.