EXHIBITION OF TURKISH CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL ART BY DESTEGÜL

For the first time in Latvia within the anticipated annual project RUMI FEST “Turkish Culture Days” will be hosted. Exhibition of Turkish Contemporary Classical Art by Destegül  will be second art series within the festival. This is a rare unique opportunity to witness authentic art works of renowned Turkish masters, true gems of today’s contemporary art scene.

Destegül (Fine Arts Centre) was established 20 years ago in Konya, (Turkey) where students under the patronage of masters learn the craftsmanship of traditional Turkish art and sharpen their skill within various disciplines including: ornamentation, miniature, calligraphy, ebru, hand painted ceramic crafts. For this exposition Destegül will be presenting a collection of 75 pieces of art that will be cautiously curated by renowned master Ali Kemal Kakan. The artists from Destegül will be hosting a masterclass during the exhibition where they will be showing their techniques and creation process of their work.

Art of calligraphy for Islamic culture is one of the most distinctive parts of its heritage, that considers it as a visible expression of the highest art of all – the art of the spoken word. In arabic “calligraphy” means “line” and it is seen as an artistic writing and is part of the art discipline where Arabic script communicates and reflects the art form. In Islamic culture such figurative expression gained its popularity by deriving from the taboo in depiction of all human and non-human forms, therefore everything that artists wanted to communicate was achieved through expression of ornamentation and calligraphy composition.

It is popular among all age groups and for a newly started student it is vital to be taught by a master himself, as through this path which requires immaculate precision in dedication, patience and imagination, only few will graduate with an appraised distinction.

Turks have made an invaluable impact in development of Arabic script and achieved high esthetical level, making a derivation to the art form expression. In early years of Islam Kufic script writing was used with distinctive geometrical character, whereas today the art of Husn – i-hatt ( beauty of writing ) captivates by its scope of forms and fine sophistication. In order to master this skill of calligraphy one has to repeatedly learn how to write a symbol with a single brush stroke, which can take up to few years of mastership in order to achieve closed eye perfection.
Ornamentation is an important aspect of Eastern art form in Islamic world. Geometric pattern is at the same time mathematically precise, aesthetically pleasing, and symbolic. Due to this duality of creation, the artistic part of this equation may be further subdivided into girih and islimi art forms. Girih – in translation from Persian a “knot”, is used in making up shapes such as squares, stars polygons and etc. that once formed into an ornament are usually used within decoration of buildings and mosques. Islimi – is a style of pattern where pleated lines and spirals are used mainly to form designs for books, clothing, tableware and other objects.

Eastern ornamentation and calligraphy will mostly remain mystical, as an Eastern woman hidden behind modest, long garments, preserving herself from eyes of many and appearing in front of few. Twisted pleated lines of ornaments carry within themselves hidden knowledge that reveals only to a true seeker or to a dedicated master performing this art.
Ebru or marbling art is an ancient Eastern art form, a unique dance of colours on water performed by gentle hand plasticity of an artist, creating unrepeatable ornaments.