Between the Lines, Nahid Toontoonchi Solo Exhibition | Penn Place Gallery | Nov. 25–Dec. 21, 2020
Nahid Tootoonchi is a graphic designer, artist and educator. She uses Persian letterforms (Farsi) in her calligraphy with bamboo pen, wooden pallet, and organic ink. Nahid creates composition from layering letterforms based on poems from ancient Persian poets such as Rumi, Hafez and Saadi, and a 20th century poet and painter, Sohrab Sepehri.
The resulting artworks express the content of the poem, rather than reproduce the text legibly. Nahid aims to use simple elements to create harmonic works, celebrating life and the beauty of Farsi letterform in abstraction.
I always have been fascinated by magical effect of pen and ink on paper. As a graphic designer I saw the replacement of traditional tools and handiworks with computer use. With explosion of internet, access to information and digital technology I find a meditative state in calligraphy. Calligraphy is the art of writing, an artistic impression and rhythm of the music to the eye. I use letter form to create contemporary artwork beyond reading and writing and for diverse viewers.
BIOGRAPHY
Nahid Tootoonchi is an Iranian American graphic designer, artist and educator. She received her undergraduate degree in graphic design in England from Southampton College of Art, and her MFA in Communication Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has worked as a senior designer and art director for institutions such as Kaiser Permanente, National Geographic and the Nature Conservancy.
Tootoonchi has curated Beneath the Surface; Poster Exhibition from Iran, and has also written and lectured extensively nationally and internationally on this subject. She recently curated an exhibition of four different scripts (Chinese, Devanagari, Farsi and Hebrew), which included her work along with her students’ work, and few area calligraphers for Takoma Park Community Center.
Tootoonchi’s recent artwork and research focuses on calligraphy. She uses Persian letterform (Farsi) for calligraphy with bamboo pen, wooden pallet, and organic ink to create composition from layering letterforms based on poems of Persian ancient poets. She currently exhibits at Baltimore, Towson and DC area.
Synopsis: As the seasons change, so too does a young Hmong girl’s world. She moves into a new home with her family and encounters both birth and death. As this curious girl explores life inside her house and beyond, she collects bits of the natural world. But who are her treasures for?
Seo Kim