Proving yet again – small is beautiful
Miniature painting in itself is fascinating. So is wood inlay work. So imagine the result of a fusion of these two art forms. That is exactly what two Iranian-based artists, Mohsen Ghiassi and Hossein Ghaempanah, have done. Their works will be on show in Dubai this month
Miniature paintings are awe-inspiring for the magic they evoke despite their diminutive nature. The tremendous amount of hard work which goes into each piece to embellish the details, hidden features, the symbolism, the sublime touches, as compared to larger depictions is simply awesome.
Sometimes, there is the stunning aspect of novelty, a newness which presents a fresh perspective. Mohsen Ghiassi and Hossein Ghaempanah, two Iranian artists based in Tehran, have achieved such an effect with their innovative dialogue with wood and colour.
Iranian miniature paintings have been acclaimed and cherished for ages, but tableaux made with wood inlay is relatively new, perhaps a technique imported from India.
When Ghiassi and Ghaempanah teamed up eight years ago to set up a workshop called Design Centre, they did something which was different: they wanted to blend these two Persian arts.
It was a marriage that triggered what Ghaempanah calls a 'new genre'. A graduate in law and politics, he saw art just as a hobby, but when his sister got married to Ghiassi, a reputed miniature painter, the two got the idea of pooling their talents, and it clicked.
Those acquainted with the works of the internationally-acclaimed Iranian artist Mahmoud Farshchian will tell you that the art of Ghiassi and Ghaempanah is a 'copy' of the master. Indeed, it is, but with a big difference: in the Design Center creations, human representation is generally in paint while the rest of the tableau is largely wood.
