Calligraphy in Search of a New Body

Dr. Javad Mojabi, Ettela'at Newspaper

Calligraphy was formerly believed to be one-half of wisdom; however, Mafi has proved that calligraphy is absolute wisdom that reveals the essence of beauty. Mafi’s recent show is a manifestation of a conscious effort to discover the beauty of Persian calligraphy. Although he has transcended the boundaries of calligraphy and is seeking new horizons in the field of calligraphy painting, at first glance, we find him the rightful successor to the calligraphers of our history. Mafi is aware that Persian calligraphy can be perfect and beautiful by nature. Still, the old masters’ wealth of experience gained over the years has left the contemporary heir to this treasure with no choice but to repeat it all; however, as he does not like to be an imitator, he turns to painting to employ its timeless, beautiful elements, without being timeworn or trapped in modernism or.

In these linear works (I use the word linear instead of calligraphy for when words lose meaning, they become a linear compositional element in painting, calligraphy, and generally in design), Mafi has tried to free the line from the limited meanings assigned to words and leave it to the form to express a single, thorough meaning. If calligraphy had previously been associated with poetry and literature, these linear forms are now employed by calligraphy painting. Drawing on the Siyah Mashq technique (meaning calligraphy practice), the artist attracts attention not to the meaning of the lines, which have a peripheral value here, but to the beauty of the forms that represent a double meaning.

The color palette is chosen proportionately and with a relative balance and diversity in composition. Sometimes, bright colors appear luminescent against the dark background; sometimes, the pale lines in a simple text narrate bygone ages, and sometimes, they turn into fire; without restricting the work to specific concepts, lines sometimes take on the form of a bird, a figure of a dervish, a bud, a flower, or a garden. Unlike others who turn to calligraphy from painting, Mafi has been striving to show the potential of this beautiful language with the hope of making a change in painting. It is good to remember his experiments in creating pleasant volumes by making use of calligraphy. Although the dragon of print has devoured calligraphy, Mafi has been patiently and comfortably experimenting with calligraphy painting far from the evils of this dragon, giving a boost to this old workshop.

We wish him success in his path.