The Maldivian artist "earthling" is a name known to those who love art. Hassan Najih, also known by his artistic moniker earthling, is the first calligraphy artist from Maldives.
He works in the music industry and has always held an interest in drawing and the creative industry. He formed an interest for varied art forms such as calligraphy and graffiti, with him starting his journey during Covid.
"I first started by practicing asemic writing, which is basically expressive writing. At the time, I saw other street artists on social media using calligraphy to create art, which piqued my interest so I wanted to try it," said earthling when talking about his journey into different art forms.
He stated that such drawings were not a sight to be seen when he started. However, the art form gained popularity within Maldivians, said earthling, with him highlighting that a warm welcome was received by other artists and art enthusiasts.
He showed his skill for the very first time at the Unveiling Visions art exhibition, a major platform in the art scene. He won the Best Calligraphy Artist Award at the exhibition as well. He has since showcased his work on many platforms and has collaborated with many companies since.
Dhiraagu has reached out with such an opportunity this year. The company requested earthling to draw a mural on the company doors for Ramadan.
The artist spent around 24 hours on the mural, with it including colors and elements from Dhiraagu's branding.
"This mural was created by using calligraphy and infusing it with the raises in Dhiraagu's branding. I developed a concept for this piece. However, this was created on the spot via free hand," said earthling while talking about the mural.
"As this is a piece being created for Ramadan, I worked to bring about an Arabic feel."
As per the artist, Dhiraagu facilitating such an opportunity to a Maldivian artist and acknowledging their skill is a strong step that was taken in increasing opportunities for artists. He also hopes that Dhiraagu will offer more opportunities to artists in the future.
As Dhiraagu has welcomed Ramadan with earthling's skill, the company stated that it was one of their more important efforts in preparing for Ramadan.
Assistant Manager, PR and Sponsorships, Khadheeja Nashaya Naeem said that as preparation for Ramadan sees many activities such as the decoration of a household, this mural that was commissioned by the company is meant to bring life to the culture. She also said that this project was meant to offer an opportunity to a local artist, with Dhiraagu always working to facilitate such opportunities and empower artists.
Dhiraagu works to prepare for Ramadan with different branding and themes each year.
