Online Registeration
- All workshops are in English, open to public, and introductory so everyone are welcomed.
- Space is limited and online registration is needed by filling out the form below. After filling the form you may pay the registration fee via PayPal by pressing the "Buy Now" button on the form. You may pay at the door on the day of the event as well if you wish (cash or checks only).
- Registration at the door on the day of the program is possible only if there is a space.
- Registration fee for each workshop is $50 regular and $25 students and youths. All supplies are included.
- Minimum of 5 participants are needed for each workshops. In case of less than 5 registered participants, the workshop might be canceled and it will be announced via email to registered participants.
- Persian Center in Berkeley is not wheelchair accessible.
California School of Traditional Arts in partnership with Ziya Art Center presents the first Traditional Persian Arts Series:
1- Persian and Arabic Calligraphy Workshop with M. Navid Bazargan and Arash Shirinbab
Friday, June 19th, 6 – 8 p.m. at Persian Center, Berkeley
2029 Durant Ave # 100, Berkeley, CA 94704
Workshop Description: The workshop will begin with an illustrated presentation on the history, principles, fundamentals, and tools for the Persian and Arabic calligraphy by Shirinbab. It will be followed up by a demonstration on two of the oldest calligraphy styles, Kufic and Thuluth. Next, Bazargan will give instructions on alphabets and words in Nastaliq style of calligraphy. It will be continued with hands-on practices on Nastaliqu style by participants. This is an introduction workshop so there is NO NEED for prior experience with Persian calligraphy or language.
2- Traditional Persian Painting (Tazheeb) Workshop with Maryam Vesal
Saturday, June 20th, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Stanford University (The Graduate Commuity Center, located at 750 Escondido Road, Stanford 94305)
Workshop Description: At this workshop, Maryam Vesal will give a presentation on different Persian painting styles, specially Tazheeb and will talk about its origins (when and where and why it was created), its elements (discussing geometry, repetition, symmetry, and colors), and the concepts behind it (conceptual meaning and interpretations behind Tazheeb). Then she will move to describe the techniques of designing and painting tazheeb elements and guide the participants to create a Tazheeb piece step by step.
3- Persian and Arabic Calligraphy Workshop with M. Navid Bazargan and Arash Shirinbab
Saturday, June 20th, 2 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Stanford University (The Graduate Commuity Center, located at 750 Escondido Road, Stanford 94305)
Workshop Description: The workshop will begin with an illustrated presentation on the history, principles, fundamentals, and tools for the Persian and Arabic calligraphy by Shirinbab. It will be followed up by a demonstration on two of the oldest calligraphy styles, Kufic and Thuluth. Next, Bazargan will give instructions on alphabets and words in Nastaliq style of calligraphy. It will be continued with hands-on practices on Nastaliqu style by participants. This is an introduction workshop so there is NO NEED for prior experience with Persian calligraphy or language.
About Instructors
Mohammad Navid Bazargan was born in 1963 in Tehran. He is an assistant professor of Persian Literature and writer of Encyclopedia of Persian Language and Literature in Iran. In addition to his academic career he has always been interested in painting and calligraphy. He has spent many years painting with different media and held several painting exhibitions in Iran and other countries. Simultaneously, he applied for the Iranian Association of Calligraphers from 1987 and after 5 years was granted the degree of “Outstanding Calligrapher”.
Maryam Vesal is an Iranian artist working and living in San Jose. She has learned Persian Miniature and Tazheeb under masters in Iran such as Mehran Lotfali and has been practicing and creating traditional artworks for over 10 years. She has a BFA in Studio Art from University of Texas at Austin. Maryam is a multi-disciplinary artist working in variety of media such as: ceramics, painting, photography, performance, and installation sculpture.
Arash Shirinbab is an award winning artist, calligrapher, and designer. Arash has participated in over 60 exhibitions in the US, Spain, Poland, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, and Iran and has devised over two dozen calligraphy classes and workshops around the world. Arash is passionate about traditional Arabic-Persian calligraphy and its contemporary appearance in painting; He has found it not only a great way of expressing his artistic intentions, but also a spiritual practice. He has learned Thuluth from Master Abdolreza Hosseini Garekani and then Kufic styles from Master S. M. V. Mousavi Jazayeri, both masters of the Iranian Calligraphists Association.
