Past perfect, present continuous: twin worlds of Rubab Zahra's calligraphy

Rubab Zahra is a calligraphy practitioner and an abstract artist who works in a contemporary style. As calligrapher, her aim is to conserve the sacred art of Arabic calligraphy; so she produces traditional Islamic Arabic art in her studio and to connect it to the modern world, she has developed contemporary versions of the art.

- Muhammad Yusuf

"I digitalise my physical artworks and add animated effects to them," she says. Her abstracts are mainly inspired by current events, social issues and different cultures. Through them, she throws light on the topics such as 'Inclusivity', 'Beauty in Diversity', 'Peace', 'Women Empowerment' and 'Family Empowerment'.

Rubab prefers using monochromes and subtle colours in combination with metal foils to give life to her paintings. She works in a wide variety of media such as acrylic, inks and metal leaves, among others. Using brushes, palette knives and also unconventional tools, she creates texture, layers and depth in her artworks. In a fairly short period of time, she has won recognition as an accomplished artist - which is noteworthy, since she is self-taught and self-represented, without a marketing team to assist her. She is also proficient in graphic design and has done commissions for brands. Her paintings have been exhibited in Carrousel du Louvre, Paris; Moscow State Museum, Russia; Georgia; at Mauritius International Art Fair and also locally. She has been selected as Ambassador Pakistan by Art Connects Women, 2022, and received an award for her role. She is the recipient of the Al Zarooni Award, 2021, and also the Wonder Mom Award, 2022. Her painting Peace in Our Hands is in the permanent collection of Haegeumgang Theme Museum, South Korea. She has conducted art workshops at events and places like Sikka 2023, Dubai Expo 2020, World Art Dubai and Pakistan Association Dubai. She has sold her artworks and beautified multiple spaces worldwide. Rubab Zahra speaks to Gulf Today.