by Behrouz Hariri

One of the qualities that makes current Iranian graphic design unique is its typography. The country has a rich history of visual arts and moreover the better part of this heritage consists of calligraphy. Throughout the times calligraphy has been inventing and reinventing itself and has influenced other forms of art. The incorporation of calligraphy into Islamic architecture is a fine example of this union. In recent times these treasures of beauty and harmony have inspired painters, sculptors, and in particular: graphic designers.

In comparison to Europe and North America calligraphy is a far more popular and practiced form of art in Iran and in most other countries around this area. You can spot at least one piece of calligraphy hung on the walls of most Iranian households.

The secret lies in the script and its mechanics. This script, that is written in Persian or Farsi, is known as the Arabic Script. It should be noted that the technical term Arabic Script refers to the script used in Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, other Arab countries, and more Indian regions where the Pashtu language is spoken. Moreover it used to be the official writing system in Turkey before its westernization by Ata Turk. Therefore its use for writing in over a dozen different dialects and languages has prompted a natural cultural adoption of specific styles and characteristics.

Typography exhibitions organized by The 5th Color have been an opportunity to see works of up and coming designers, design students and big names in Iranian design all in one place. The first exhibition was held to commemorate the 100th birthday of Sadegh Hedayat (1903-1951), an Iranian avant-garde writer. The event was titled "The Blind Owl" (Bouf-e Kour) after Hedayat's best known book.

Visit Click to Open Web Page to read more.

BEHROUZ HARIRI
Student
York University/Sheridan Institute

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