Kourosh Beigpour:
Mandal

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.

Kourosh Beigpour is an LA-based award-winning graphic artist and type designer. He received his BFA in 2003 from the Tehran University of Art, which is one of Asia’s oldest and most prestigious art schools, and received an MFA in International Contemporary Art and Design from Limkokwing University in 2011.

Beigpour’s use of typography and graphic design has been published in more than twenty countries around the globe. His impressive portfolio showcases his remarkable creative energy and signature designs with a special focus and interest in Persian and Arabic typography and identity design portraying his love and appreciation for millennia-old Iranian art and culture.

Beigpour has designed for a wide range of clientele, including Google, The Broad, The J. Paul Getty Museum, University of California Irvine (UCI), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), Oklahoma State University (OSU), Canada Type, Powerhouse Museum, DoppelHouse Press,  and The Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture.