Mohammed Ehsai (Iranian, b. 1939)

Applying calligraphy as the main element of his works, celebrated Iranian artist Mohammed Ehsai represents the continuation of an
artistic movement which sought to leave its mark by combining traditional techniques into a Modern artistic form. Utilising his knowledge of graphic arts to create impressive pictures, Ehsai's works, unlike traditional Persian calligraphy, can be divided into two categories: Calligraphy Paintings and Eternal Alphabet.
Ehsai engages in a visual language strongly influenced by structural calculations and the use of calligraphy in architecture, which has
enjoyed a strong history in Islamic art. In his works, the austere distribution of words within the frame is indicative of a supreme order derived from centuries of utopian idealism in religion. Since the written word has historically been used as a tool for the documentation and transfer of knowledge, each written piece, before even being read, holds an intellectual weight. As such, these written forms and words come together in an artistic creation, outside the realm of calligraphic art within a symbolic order of meaning.
In the present work, a stunning example from Ehsai's Calligraphy Paintings painted in 1991, the linguistic references of a phrase or
sentence find meaning through the logic of forms and colours. Typical of the artist's oeuvre, the notion of the free flowing letter, in vibrant hues, transports the viewer to a spiritual appreciation of a traditional art form revisited in a Modern manner.