The Living Art of Calligraphy: Traditional and Contemporary Visions

Join us for a series of immersive calligraphy workshops guided by international master calligraphers, Bahman Panahi and Nuria Garcia Masip.

  • Thuluth Script

  • Nastaliq Script

  • Musicalligraphy

We will introduce and explore the traditional and contemporary visions of Islamic calligraphy through immersive workshops in the thuluth and nastaliq scripts, Musicalligraphy, and an intergenerational exhibit featuring the work of Iranian Master Calligrapher, Gholam-Hussein Amirkhani; his student, Master Calligrapher Bahman Panahi; and students from Panahi’s de facto CalligraVie School in Paris.

Wednesday, October 8th - Sunday, October 18th | Hyde Park, Chicago

  • Calligraphic Journeys through the Beauty of Islamic Art

    Wednesday, October 8th, 3PM - 6PM | Experiential Workshop: Explore the Ottoman and Persian Schools of Calligraphy; experience the art of Musicalligraphy.

    REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPT 7

  • CalligraVie on Voyage: Three Generations of Persian Calligraphy

    Friday, October 10th, 6PM - 8PM | Exhibit Opening Reception: The exhibit will continue to run through Sunday, October 18th.

    REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPT 7

  • Persian Nastaliq Script: One-Day Immersive Workshop

    Saturday, October 11th, 10AM - 1PM | Immersive Workshop: Experience the centuries-old methods of the Nastaliq Script using traditional tools.

    REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPT 7

  • Contemporary Musicalligraphy: One-Day Immersive Workshop

    Sunday, October 12th, 10AM - 1PM | Immersive Workshop: Take a deep dive into the musicality of calligraphy through the contemporary art of Musicalligraphy.

    REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPT 7

The Artists

Bahman Panahi

Franco-Iranian artist Bahman Panahi is a contemporary artist, master calligrapher, and musician specializing in Nastaliq and Musicalligraphy. His work highlights calligraphy as a living art, where gesture is combined with rhythm in the search for balance and harmony.

Dr. Panahi studied traditional Islamic calligraphy with Iranian masters Gholam Hossein Amirkhani, Yadollah Kaboli, Abdollah Foradi, and music with masters Mohamed Réza Lotfi and Houshang Zarif. He completed his Ph.D. in music and musicology at Sorbonne University. His exclusive concept of Musicalligraphy expresses the relationship between music and calligraphy expressed in his work. He currently lives in Paris where he directs the de facto CalligraVie school.

Nuria Garcia Masip

Born in Ibiza, Spain, Nuria is a traditional calligraphy artist specializing in the Thuluth and Naskh scripts. Her work is firmly rooted in the Classical School of Calligraphy and preserves the techniques and materials of the tradition.

Nuria studied traditional Islamic calligraphy with Masters Mohamed Zakariya, Hasan Çelebi, and Davut Bektaş. She received her diploma (ijazah) in 2007. She holds a Masters in Art History from the Sorbonne University. She has won prestigious prizes in international calligraphy competitions and her work forms part of various private and museum collections. She currently lives in Paris.

Collaborators