ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I refer to my work as contemporary calligraphy. In my painting, I present a new contemporary reality of a traditional art form. By marrying text (inter-twined letters and words, the essence of ancient calligraphy in all cultures) with images, I reconstruct the past and bring it into the present.

Traditional Persian calligraphy is the art of giving form to symbols and sounds in an expressive, fluid, harmonious, and balanced manner. This ancient art form focuses on elegance and historical style. For centuries, Persian calligraphy served as a mirror for mystical and literary teachings.

My contemporary calligraphy reflects this tradition but is abstract in nature. My work embraces experimentation and self-expression. Inspired by my own human experience, as well as the ancient Sufi poets, who write of basic human emotions (e.g., from love and joy to pain and sadness); my work attempts to speak to the soul. It is intended to invite meditation, reflection. While the script embedded in my paintings might be in Persian or Arabic or English (my new language), I hope that its emotions speak to people of all languages.

My process is like collage, ranging from four to eight layers in which the script and images are intertwined gracefully. I start with a letter or a word without knowing where it will take me. I often get lost in the layers and surprised by the final work. My materials include Japanese ink, watercolors, acrylic paint, gold and silver leaf applied with bamboo pens and brushes to paper, canvas or wood.

I see my work as a window half open to the world full of possibilities. I am hopeful that such efforts will elevate the art of calligraphy, thereby ensuring the revival of the art form to the importance it has enjoyed over the past 1400 years.