Mohammed Ehsai

Born Tehran, Iran, 1939

Ehsai trained at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University, and has taught there as a full professor since 1972. In 1964 he started using calligraphy in graphic design and painting. He worked on the layout and calligraphy of various books and was commissioned to create a number of architectural design projects, including the inscriptions of the Alghadir Mosque in Tehran, 1980–3, as well as those at the entrance of the Iran Bastan Museum,Tehran, 1985, and the Iranian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 1988–91. A skilled calligrapher, Ehsai achieved a successful synthesis between this traditional art and modern painting. His works have been exhibited worldwide, including at the Iran–America Society,Tehran, 1974; Basle International Art Fair, Switzerland, 1976–8; and the Barbican Centre, London, 2001. In 1976 Ehsai was awarded a prize at the Cagnes-sur- Mer Festival, France, and in 2005 he received Iran’s National Award for Art and Culture.