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Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi
Description
- Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi
- Noor (Light)
- signed in Farsi; signed and dated 2016 on the reverse
- ink and oil on canvas
- 159 by 84cm.; 62 5/8 by 33 1/8 in.
Provenance
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Aghighi was born in 1968 in Qom into a literary and intellectual family. She was the pupil of the renowned calligrapher master Nasrollah Afjei, under whom she explored the infinite variations of Kufic scripture. The movement and symbolic potentiality of the calligraphic form is one of the key preoccupations of her work. It is not the intention of the artist to enclose written messages in her pictures, it is in fact the lack of a clear meaning which allows Aghighi to transcend the limits of language and enter into a realm of shape and form: a universal language of aesthetic communication which is freely accessible to the viewer.
While Aghighi was inspired by early Islamic writings, her purpose is not evangelical. Calligraphy as a concept becomes alluring because of its symbolic potentiality to represent everything from poetry and prayer to a simple conversation. The artist’s oeuvre draws from the rich tapestry of Middle Eastern culture to posit something new: the endless capacity of form to produce meaning.
Azra Aghighi’s works are currently in the permanent collection at the Islamic gallery of the British Museum and the Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia. Her latest work has also been featured in an exhibition on Islamic calligraphy at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia.