Persian Calligram

Persian calligram is an art style in both Iranian modern painting and contemporary calligraphy. This art style was gradually formed by some Iranian calligraphers and painters in the 1950s. With a background of more than half a century, Persian calligram has become an independent art form in contemporary years.

By: Jalil Rasouli

By: Khalil Koiki

By: Unknown

Some groups of artists and scholars introduce calligram as a combination of calligraphy with painting and graphics, and others find this art form as a kind of calligraphy which in its implementation, painting, drawing and designing techniques have been used. For providing a more comprehensive definition of this Persian modern art style, it can be said that calligram refers to all works of art which their elements consist of calligraphed letters and words that are flatly executed on a sheet by using various painting techniques.

By: Unknown

By: Iraj Shahmoradi

By: Sajad Mehri By: Alireza Karimpour

In the composition of calligram artworks, letters and words are used as visual and aesthetic elements. In fact, the form of the composition, the lines drawn and the colors used are such that they appear like a painting, to a point that sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the letters or words.

By: Reza Mafi

By: Hossein Zendehroodi

By: Ali Shirazi

By: Alireza Karimpour

The important thing about Persian calligram is that in most cases, artists do not pay attention to the meaning and content of texts and sentences; in the composition of such artworks, calligraphed words and letters act only as visual elements. In fact, the creators of Persian calligram seek for a universal language and mean of expression for the arts of calligraphy, painting and the art pieces created by them.

By: Khalil Koiki

By: Hossein Zendehroodi

By: Ali Shirazi

By: Khalil Koiki

In the creation of artworks in this way, elements such as geometric shapes, screws and delicate arches, intertwined and irregular letters as well as dense and bold colors are used, and instead of using traditional calligraphic tools such as pen, ink and paper, artists use painting tools like canvas, oil colors, gouache, acrylic, watercolor, etc...

By: Faramarz Pilaram

By: Khalil Koiki

By: Hossein Zendehroodi

Among the pioneering Persian calligram artists Faramarz Pilaram, Reza Mafi, Hossein Zendehroodi, Nasrollah Afjehei and Mohammad Ehsaie, can be mentioned. Each of these artists has played a very influential role in the emersion and development of this innovative art form in Iran.