01 Painting, Middle East Artists, with Footnotes, #7

Mohamed Ehsai, B.1939

MOHABBAT (KINDNESS), c. 2006 

Oil and silver leaf on canvas

157 by 157cm.; 61 7/8 by 61 7/8 in.

Private collection

Mohabbat–the Farsi word for kindness, compassion and sympathy–is a tribute to the sacred art of calligraphy, however in the present work, the word holds a more secular meaning. The writing turns into abstraction and the letters, which are overlaid and distributed in a circular and dense yet joyful composition, are no longer decipherable. The morphed word as a twisted form is the main element of the work, but it must be viewed solely as a visual tool of expression. More on this work

Mohammed Ehsai is a contemporary Iranian artist whose stylized work is characterized by a melding of Arabic calligraphy, graphic design, and Modernist abstraction. Two-tone compositions of conflated Arabic symbols and script, painted on large-scale canvases, form the backbone of Ehsai's practice. Featuring twisting forms and delicate symmetrical design, his paintings offer a uniquely global vision of the 20th and 21st centuries. Born in Qazvin, Iran in 1939, he attended Tehran University in 1966 to study fine art and traditional calligraphy, before going on the attain a teaching position there in 1971. His culturally loaded work has received international attention, garnering commissions such as murals on the Abu Dhabi's Iranian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. Mohammed Ehsai

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, and visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.