Mohammad Ehsai, Untitled (1967)

Mohammad Ehsai (born 1939) is an Iranian master calligrapher and painter. An untitled piece of his early works, Ehsai explores and deconstructs letterforms into complex interlacing lines that weave together to form an intricate mural of text. Born in 1939 in Qazvin, Iran, Ehsai would go on to study fine art and calligraphy at Tehran University in 1966 where he would later become an instructor in 1971. His masterful and intimate understanding of the sacred art of Iranian calligraphy is exemplified in the confounding formal qualities of his work.

Ehsai's work is heavily inspired by traditional Nasta'liq calligraphy that employs delicate, flowing brushstrokes and careful ornamentation. This ancient form of calligraphy is often used to augment the divine nature of Islamic poetry and sacred texts, but Ehsai instead uses lettering alone to create a sense of mysticism. This contemporary style of uniting calligraphy with painting is known as Naghashi-khat. It uses heavily contrasting strokes and minimal ornamentation to accentuate the natural qualities of the lettering. Ehsai's intricate and masterful lettering is the paradigm of contemporary Iranian calligraphy, solidifying his legacy as one of the most influential 20th-century Iranian calligraphers.