“Calligraphies in Conversation” encompasses a group exhibition and a series of public events including calligraphy demonstrations, workshops, and calligraphers’ talks and presentations focusing on endorsing the appreciation of traditional calligraphy in hands-on and tangible manner. The emphasis of this program is initiating a meaningful conversation between different calligraphy traditions especially between the Middle Eastern calligraphy and other calligraphy scripts and traditions. The program is planned for November- December 2015 in the Bay Area, California.
This program builds on the success of our inaugural Calligraphies in Conversation project in partnership with Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California (ICCNC) and Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) in Spring 2014, where over 80 artworks were exhibited at these two locations near downtown Oakland. A range of diverse traditions and styles were exhibited, with an array of Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish traditional calligraphy artworks as well as manifestations of calligraphy in some contemporary and abstract art pieces.
Co-curators Arash Shirinbab, Neal Jamal Koga, and Raeshma Razvi assembled the collection over many months, in a competitive process that yielded 115 submissions mainly from the Bay Area and some from the U.S., United Kingdom, China, Iran, Japan, and Turkey. The exhibition coincided with four public events at ICCNC and resulted in a full color exhibition book.
In this page you can find the details of our 2014 Calligraphies in Conversation program.
Overview
Calligraphies in Conversation is an exhibition of curated and newly-made calligraphy from both Middle Eastern and Far Eastern traditions.
The Curatorial and Jury Panel consists of ICCNC and Ziya Art Center experts as well as local artists have received over 115 submissions from invited calligraphers and through an open call for artists. Most of submissions were from the US, mainly Bay Area, California; but there were several international submissions from different countries including United Kingdom, China, Iran, Japan, and Turkey.
After a competitive jury process close to 50 artworks got accepted from 20 artists for the exhibit illustrating a diverse array of Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish calligraphy artworks.
Artists and Artworks
This is the online gallery of our Calligraphies in Conversation exhibition. It includes all the accepted artists, their biographies, their artworks, and the description of thier artworks.
This gallery includes incredible array of calligraphic artworks from different masters and illustrates the differences and similarities of these calligraphy traditions; as well as their deep connections.
Collaborators, Sponsors and Partner Organizations
Calligraphies in Conversation 2014
Curatorial Statement
What is this conversation we are imagining between distinct writing traditions, a conversation that might seem never to have taken place on a grand cultural scale, despite the fact that there have always been individuals like ourselves, who have taken an interest in the respective other and its way of writing?
Press Release
“Calligraphies in Conversation” art exhibition fosters new dialogue between Islamic and Far Eastern calligraphic arts and artists
March 1, 2014--Oakland, CA: On Saturday, March 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California (ICCNC), the art exhibition “Calligraphies in Conversation” will open with a public reception. The exhibition is one of the few of its kind exploring connections between calligraphy traditions and practices from Islamic cultures and Far Eastern ones, mainly Chinese and Japanese.
Artworks Price List; Acquiring Arts
To see the price list of the artworks presented at the Calligraphies in Conversation Exhibition please CLICK HERE.
Exhibit Book Pre-orders
We are producing a high quality book of this exhibition as well. The book contains full pages for each of the artworks, artists' biographies, and an introduction by some of the most honored scholars of Islamic and Japanese art and culture. We are taking pre-orders for the exhibit book. The retail price is $60 and pre-orders would enjoy a discount and pay $50.
To place a pre-order please CLICK HERE.
