Samrup Rachna



Samrup Rachna is a 60 work calligraphic art collection of apni boli, a fusion of Hindi-Urdu, created by Pakistani Syed Mohammed Anwer.

The name comes from the Sanskrit words Samrup (सामरुप) (سامروپ), meaning "congruence" or similar, and Rachna (रचना) (رچنا) meaning "creative work or design". In linguistics, languages which are written in two different scripts are called Synchronic digraphia. Hindustani is one such language.

The calligraphy uses two different scripts of Devanagari (northern brahmic) and Nastaliq (perso-arabic) or Hindi-Urdu which Anwer calls apni boli. Anwer had learned the Devanagari script from his mother who had told him that only the scripts of Hindi and Urdu were different, but the language was the same. He states that the idea of fusing the two scripts came to him one day as he was doodling in his office, which then emerged as patterns and eventually he started painting them.

The calligraphy forms a picture of the word when written. For example, the Hindustani word surahi (meaning "ewer" or "pitcher" in English) is written in apni boli calligraphy in a way that a picture of an ewer is also formed.

The purpose of the artwork is to illustrate that language does not have a religion.

The 60 work collection was launched as a book in 2016 called Samrup Rachna – Calligraphic Expression of Apni Boli [Hindi-Urdu] - at the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature Festival at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage.





Samrup Rachna exhibitions
1.The Launch of Samrup Rachna Calligraphic Expressions 2012

The first Inaugural Exhibition of Samrup Rachna – Art for Peace held in Islamabad from 2–4 April 2012. The artist Syed Mohammed Anwer while talking with international media Voice of America - VOA.



2. Kuch Khaas The Centre for Arts, Culture & Dialogue, Islamabad 2012

A session was organized with the Artist of Samrup Rachna Calligraphy Syed Mohammed Anwer at Kuch Khaas Center of Arts & Culture, Islamabad on 27 April 2012.



3. Samrup Rachna – Apni Boli Book Launch at Cultural Festival on World Local Languages day, 2016

The Book on Samrup Rachna calligraphic work was launched on World Local languages Day, 2016 at a Cultural Festival held at Lok Virsa Islamabad. Speaking at the occasion Anwer shared his journey of creating this unique Art work. International Media VOA.

6. South Asian Scripts, Chicago University USA, 2018

The art work of Syed Mohammed Anwer was displayed in an exhibition the world of South Asian Scripts titled “Cosmopolitanism and National Identities” held in University of Chicago from 5 September 2018 to 14 December 2018.