Calligraphy and the Future of Publishing

April 7th, 2009

Last Saturday I had the unexpected pleasure of attending a festival in Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver welcoming in the Iranian New Year, sponsored by the Canadian Iranian Foundation. My friend Jill and I wandered through the damp ground to booths and stalls, stopping briefly to meet Massoud Karimaei, a master calligrapher. I watched him work his art and then engaged his attention. He offered to render “Thad McIlroy” in Farsi calligraphic script. The result is just below (I sure hope I haven’t got it upside down!).

ThadFarsi2.jpg

Such a beautiful image! As the printed word undergoes so many dramatic changes, there is something deeply heartening in observing an artist practicing his written craft.