‘From Contour to Calligraphy’ by Mehdi Saeedi

In this article we are presenting an exhibition 'From Contour to Calligraphy' by graphic designer Mehdi Saeedi from Iran. The exhibition is on view at Sharjah Art Museum as part of Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial 2014.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Sheikh Salem Bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, head of the Office of HH in the presence of HE Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah and Hisham Al Madhloum, Director of Art Directorate.

Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial is organized by the Directorate of Arts in the Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah, UAE and this year is held as part of the celebrations of naming Sharjah as the Islamic Capital of Culture for 2014. The Biennial will run until June 2, 2014.

Mehdi Saeedi / Installation view from the exhibition 'From Contour to Calligraphy' / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Mehdi Saeedi was born in Tehran (Iran) in 1979. He graduated Art & Design at Cambridge University in UK and continued his studying experience through fellowship opportunities in Paris (France), Stuttgart (Germany) and Maribor (Slovenia). Saeedi established Graphic Studio in Tehran (Iran). He participated in many group and solo exhibitions in Iran, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Ukraine, Japan, France, USA, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Indonesia, Poland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Spain, UAE, Pakistan, Turkey, India, Slovenia, Denmark, Bolivia, Peru, Slovakia, Argentina and UK.

Mehdi Saeedi / Child Labor, from the exhibition 'From Contour to Calligraphy' / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Mehdi Saeedi / from the exhibition 'From Contour to Calligraphy' / Photo Â© Islamic Arts Magazine

Mehdi Saeedi has received numerous awards, such as Grand Prix at the Exhibition of Visual Arts (Iran, 1998 & 1999); First Prize at the 1st International Biennial of the Islamic World Poster (Iran, 2004); Top Award at the 15th International Invitational Poster (Colorado, USA, 2007); Grand Prize at the Taiwan International Poster Design Award (Taiwan, 2007) and Grand prize at the 'Five Stars Designersâ€™ Banquet' International Invitational Poster Triennial of Osaka (Japan, 2009).

Saeedi 's work can be seen in Museum of Modern Arts, Toyama, Japan; Ogaki Poster Museum, Ogaki, Japan; Osaka Poster Museum, Osaka, Japan; Wilanowie Museum of Posters, Warsaw, Poland; Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture, Paris, France; Trnava Museum of Posters, Trnava, Slovakia; Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran, Iran; Isfahan Museum of Contemporary Arts, Isfahan, Iran; The Netherlands Museum of Posters, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Lahti Poster Museum, Lahti, Finland; Franz Mayer Museum, Mexico City, Mexico; Zurich Poster Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; Chaumont Museum of Posters, Chaumont, France; and Dansk Plakat Museum, Aabyhoj, Denmark.