At a time when this region is devastated by conflict, displacement, and loss of innocent lives, Mohammad Bozorgi believes that as an artist he must fight this darkness by infusing his work with light, hope, beauty and tranquillity. That is why he has used bright colours and positive words in his latest series of calligraphic paintings titled “Coloured Tears, Grey World”. The Iranian artist is exhibiting a selection of paintings from this series in his latest show in Dubai, “Against the Darkness”.
Bozorgi studied biomedical engineering, but his interest in calligraphy led him to train at the Society of Iranian Calligraphers, where he mastered various calligraphic forms. He is recognised as a leading figure among a new generation of contemporary calligraphers for his unique style, which combines the precise mathematical structures, symmetry, techniques and aesthetic principles of Islamic art with innovative experimentation.
Like millions of people across the world, Bozorgi was deeply moved by the heart-rending image of the body of a Syrian child washed ashore in Greece after his family’s desperate attempt to reach Europe by boat failed. He has expressed his feelings through a painting titled “Martyred Child” where the words “martyred child”, “freedom”, “hope”, “shame”, “desire” and “history” are arranged in a dense circular pattern at the centre of the painting, stretching into fluid lines that seem to travel beyond the edges.
“This painting and this entire series is dedicated to Syrian children. But it is also about all children around the world who are enduring this kind of suffering. The positive words, painted in a light colour, radiate like rays of hope from the sun-like centre of the composition, rising beyond the bloodshed in the background and pushing the negative words out. The word ‘history’ repeated over and over in this painting conveys the fact that as a human being I feel responsible for what is happening in the world today, and we must all accept our responsibility and try to make changes so that this history is not repeated again,” the artist says.
Similarly, in “Hearts Can Fly” Bozorgi has played with heart-shaped letters to express a strong message of love and hope. But he also acknowledges that war and freedom go hand in hand, through a diptych titled “War and Freedom”, comprising mirror-image paintings featuring the two words. “In history and in life, you always have to fight for your freedom. This is our eternal struggle,” he says.
Other works in the series contemplate the inner struggle of human beings as they strive for spiritual attainment. In “My Way” the word “lover” (aashiq) is repeated over and over, forming undulating lines across the canvas in a palette of white, grey and black. “There are many ups and downs in the path of love, and we have to learn to accept them and go with the flow in this spiritual journey towards God,” Bozorgi says.
“Moonlight Night”, in which the artist has skilfully simulated the soft, silvery light of the moon illuminating the darkness, is also about introspection and communion with God; and in “The velvet of your eyes” he has used the symbolism of turquoise, which reflects peace and calm in Iranian tradition in a visual interpretation of the phrase “velvety look” (nigah-e-makhmal) often found in Persian poetry.
The message of this series is beautifully encapsulated in a vibrant painting titled “The Route of Creation”. “I want to show that the Creator never wanted darkness, anxiety, poverty, war or any negativity in our lives and our world. The dancing flames in this painting signify the light and happiness that the creator always wants in our lives,” Bozorgi says.
“The situation in the Middle East makes me very sad. As an artist I want to offer a flame of hope in this darkness because it is important to be positive. The colours, the harmony, the dancing lines and the positive words in my paintings are my way of doing that,” he adds.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts-enthusiast based in Dubai.
“Against the Darkness” will run at Ayyam gallery, DIFC, until August 25.
