Kourosh Beigpour: Mandal

Each work exhibited by Kourosh Beigpour is informed by his mastery of calligraphy and typography and based on his deep understanding and study of ancient Persian philosophy of sacred spaces and mysticism. Beigpour’s creations capture the essence of these sacred spaces, in his mystical designs referencing inherent meanings embedded in concepts of geometry, numerology, and Persian calligraphy, each work signifying the ultimate state of transcendence.

Since the beginning of its formation, calligraphy has had the desire to express the manifestation of existence. Therefore, the shape of letters and their numeric value convey not only the narrative of the script but also an expression of a sacred meaning beyond—an attempt to establish a pathway between the inside and the outside world of words. A link that forms the meaning and informs human mentality.  

Symbolic and sacred signs can be found not only in the content of the writing but also in shapes and their values while calligraphy evokes a world of mysticism, where man is the embodiment of God as well as the collection of its names and attributes. Calligraphic letterforms embody the mystic and psychedelic realities of existence, illustrating a way to understand the sublime.

Since the power of the word is the power of the creator, and the sublime inhabits the form of the letters, it is only natural that the embellished illustrations of the human faces and forms crystalize within them the voice of transcendence.

Mandal is a sacred space marked out physically, imagined or worn by a traditional garment, as mystics sit in Chilla, a spiritual forty-day practice of penance and solitude, wherein the energy created provides protection for the sitter as they recite mantras.

In this exhibition mystical designs based on calligraphy and typography attempt to capture the essence of sacred spaces, manifesting the ultimate state of transcendence.