Islimi with Maryam Mirzaei

Every Wednesday: 3rd May - 26th July 2023 | 17:00 - 19:00

Islami has been applied to calligraphic heads and shamsahs, which are palmettes that separate text verses. To make stunning frontispieces for the Quran, it is braided with geometric designs. It is a significant aspect of architecture, and examples include elaborate friezes made of stone, plaster, ceramic, or wood carvings.

Islamic art encompasses a variety of Islamic styles, all of which adhere to the same universal archetypal ideas. These rules apply to biomorphic decorative arts from a wide range of cultures.

The core of biomorphic compositions consists of three essential components:
• The unending spiral
• rhythm
• symmetry and structure

Here, we choose to provide knowledge about the concepts underlying these forms so that students can create their own work.

Maryam Mirzaei’s innovative approach to the traditional Persian art of miniature painting is a reflection of her personal journey as an 
artist. Although she started her formal education in textile design and fashion, her journey took a different direction when she became interested in classical and contemporary miniature painting which proved to be the focus of her art. Maryam’s studies in Persian carpet design enabled her to incorporate many of the techniques and motifs into her later painting practice. She then started her professional career as a designer at a major corporation while teaching art on a part-time basis.
In 2001, Maryam was invited to join The Art Centre, a well-known centre of excellence in the arts in Iran, as an apprentice. This is the usual way artists are trained in the traditional art of miniature painting in Iran. Whilst at the centre, Maryam came into contact with many other artists who influenced her style and practice over the coming years. In 2004, Maryam received the Diploma of Honour, a prize given to young artists as recognition of their innovative work. In 2005, she won two further competitions in Persian and Islamic art (painting) and also had her first solo exhibition in Iran, immediately followed by exhibitions in Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan.
In 2007 Maryam came to study in London in order to develop a wider perspective on art and to benefit from the variety of art and artists practicing here. She studied Fine Arts at Kensington and Chelsea College, then joined The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Art to pursue her Master’s degree. She also received another MA in Islamic studies which led her to explore many issues and styles in contemporary fine art practice, traditional arts, and theory. 
Alongside her research and studies in the arts, Maryam ran various painting workshops and held several exhibitions in London (P21 Gallery, Posk Gallery, Exel, and Persian centre of culture), Durham University, and Leicester.
Maryam’s artistic journey has taken her from the worlds of textile and carpet design to miniature and contemporary painting, resulting in a unique artistic style and identity which can be best described as a contemporised traditional art.

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