Lot 87: NASROLLAH AFJEHEI (IRANIAN, B. 1933) Untitled signed in Farsi and signed ‘A

NASROLLAH AFJEHEI (IRANIAN, B. 1933) Untitled signed in Farsi and signed ‘Afjei’ (lower right) acrylic and ink on canvas 66 3/4 x 66 3/4 in. (169.5 x 169.5cm.) Painted in 2014

PROVENANCE: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner. In his calligraphy paintings, Nasrollah Afjehei engages in a visual language signifcantly infuenced by structural calculations and by the use of calligraphy in architecture that has long been a staple in Islamic art. In this whirlwind wave of letters, the words the artist expresses are indecipherable and the use of green hues suggests a naturalistic connection. The composition, like a colossal leaf, induces a feeling of peace and serenity that is derived from nature and a connection to the natural world. Through the twisting letters, like leaves and twigs that are blowing in the wind, the viewer reaches spiritual enlightenment. The signifcance of the present work lies in the artist’s ability to create abstract forms and lines, by endlessly repeating letters. The written word has historically been used as a tool for the documentation and transfer of knowledge and emotions and each written piece, before even being read, holds intellectual and emotional signifcance. The presence of written words in an artistic creation, let alone in the art of calligraphy, places the present work in a symbolic order of meaning and as such, Nasrollah Afjehei pushes the viewer to embark on a captivating spiritual journey.