Buffalo Arts Studio presents Morphing Essence, an exhibition of new work by urban artist Muhammad Z. Zaman. Zaman has combined gestural brush strokes and calligraphic markings with the energy of street art to create this dynamic set of smaller works. Morphing Essence is on display October 6⁠–November 11, 2023, with an artist reception on Friday, October 27, 5:00–8:00 pm. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Morphing Essence is a series of calligraffiti paintings on wood created with iridescent new-generation paints. Zaman’s brand of calligraffiti is an interpretation of Hurufiyya art, an aesthetic movement that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century amongst Muslim artists, who used their understanding of traditional Islamic calligraphy within the precepts of modern art. When iridescent colors are used on a flat surface, the microparticles contained in the color create a morphing effect from refractive angles of light that is very subtle when the viewer is still. The color shift is far more dramatic when one moves through the gallery and views the work from different angles. 

For this project, Zaman has used the changing colors of the paint as a metaphor for the adaptability required of so many of us during these tumultuous times. The innovative materials and adapted artist's mark become a discourse on change, reflecting both the personal and the communal shifts that have held Zaman's attention in recent years.

Muhammad Zaman joined Buffalo Arts Studio as a Studio Artist in July 2016. He has shown in solo and group exhibitions all over the world, including the United States, England, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, Japan, and Italy. Zaman has completed murals for Buffalo AKG, Burchfield Penney Art Gallery, and Underground Railroad Heritage Center. He was awarded Artist of the Year by Arts Service Inc. of Western New York in 2019.

For more information about Buffalo Arts Studio, please visit www.buffaloartsstudio.org