Sholeh Abghari Art Gallery is delighted to announce this second edition of "In the Beginning Was the Word" that brings together works by contemporary Iranian Artist: Azra Aghighi Bachshayeshi. Azra Aghighi Bachshayeshi (Qom 1968) is the only professional conceptual calligraphic woman artist in Iran and her work draws on the rich heritage of historical writing. At the same time, she breaks the fixed rules of calligraphy, and her painting have an appealing, feminine, and unaffected quality. In her large compositions, Aghighi creates beauty with words in an nonliteral way with bold colours and three - dimensional lettering/// Descendant of the famous court calligrapher Mirza Karim Khoshnevish Tabhari, Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi is the only professional female calligraphic artist working in Iran. Born in 1968 to a literary family, Aghighi began her calligraphic training as a young girl. She was inspired by the beauty and variations of Persian letters. The artist's upbringing and social surroundings have allowed her to persistently absorb and understand the importance of religion and this is reflected throughout her art. She is devoted to advancing this traditional art form into contemporary 21st - century expression and a new era. Calligraphy is considered the most beautiful of artistic expressions. It traditionally correlates to the depiction of beauty intrinsic to Creation. Some even attributed it to a divine origin. And even though calligraphy is largely based on freedom of movement and expression, to become a master of it takes meticulous training that spans over eight years. In fact, a calligrapher can't sign there works until they've gone though the traning. It is an extremely codified art with strict and complicated rules that need to be mastered to achieve perfection. The artist says; "These writings are whispers in my mind that do not mean too much, like a meditation. Sometimes they could be poetry, prayers or just a conversation. I am not trying to convey spirituality with my writings. Speaking only one language creates a barrier between me and the viewer if they do not speak the same language. I am hoping to reach out to a broader audience with my art as a universal message."