Photo: Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian in her studio in Iran, 1975. Courtesy of The Estate of Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. Photographer unknown.
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (Iran, 1922–2019) is one of the most renowned Iranian artists of her generation. Her drawings and glass mosaic works featured in the exhibition, were influenced by the architecture of the Shah Cheragh Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, and by the writings of leading Sufi scholar Annemarie Schimmel. Her work combines Persian crafts with Sufi mysticism, particularly through the symbolism of geometric figures, which abound in Sufi art and culture. Her intuitive, fluid, and creative approach to drawing blends a free interpretation of calligraphic gesture with geometric forms.
