Untitled

Mohammad Ehsai was classically trained in traditional calligraphy, such as Nastaliq and Muhaqqaq, becoming one of the pioneering artists who incorporated Persian script into more contemporary compositions. His new artistic expressions shaped by symbolic art forms found in Shi’i religious works describe him as an intellectually inquisitive artist and his desires to explore more about the way in which art is expressed in different cultures led him to voyage through and study in several European and Asian countries.

In Middle Eastern tradition, calligraphy has served as an essential form of both religious and aesthetic expression since even before the creation of Islam. In his calligraphy paintings, Ehsai epitomizes these forms of expression as he strongly engages in a visual language influenced by structural calculations and his use of calligraphy in architecture. In the present work, Ehsai offers a new interpretation of the tradition of graphic arts by transforming coloration, execution and the use of material in a reconfigured sphere that has been made possible by modern graphics. Those pieces which represent a painterly technique with more personal focus tend to convey the artistic passion of the artist, including black and white pictures bearing long alifs (the first letter of the Arabic/Persian alphabet), filled in between with other letters, smaller and denser in their composition.

This work is the personification of Ehsai’s work as he aims to represent the continuation of an artistic movement which sought to leave its mark by combining traditional techniques into a modern artistic form. The significance of these works lies in their ability to create abstract forms through the use of lines. By applying calligraphy as the main element of his works, he utilizes his knowledge of graphic arts to create impressive pictures.