Iranian artist Sasan Nasernia’s new solo exhibition Calligraphic Confluence is a journey into the power of words.
The written word in Nasernia's exhibition, at Mestaria Gallery in Alserkal Avenue, is not only a means to record and communicate, but a vehicle infused with ideas, feeling and energy.
“Writing is the first abstraction which humanity came up with,” Nasernia tells The National. “When you assign a line to a sound, these are all words, which are at the same time, codes of the existence.”
Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures from Sasan Nasernia's Calligraphic Confluence
Arabic calligraphy, in particular, has a long history as an art form, used as ornamentation in elements of architecture, decoration, coin and book design. Nasernia’s exhibition, featuring canvases of various sizes, draw from Arabic and Persian influences to create a captivating body of work.
Nasernia's work evokes strong emotions, even if you can't decipher the calligraphy, because of the way he paints them.
Stark, minimal backgrounds give way to a burst of painterly gestures. Layers of black and primary colours create a dynamic sense of push and pull. And in the midst of the chaos, there's a sense of balance.
“You cannot be lingering a lot when creating these,” Nasernia says. “This has to be fast. If you look at me doing it, every layer has to happen really fast. Because that speed gives you the dynamism that, at the end of the day, is present.”
It’s no surprise that Nasernia has worked as a graphic designer for 18 years. There is a natural understanding in his work of how to compose clean lines, a thoughtful intuitive consideration of the scale and balance of visual elements, of material and of the traditional frameworks of pictorial creation. Nasernia takes these elements and pushes them, breaking away from the traditional formats of how Arabic and Persian calligraphy exist.
“I'm interested in doing different styles and exploring different avenues,” he says. “Especially if there is something which hasn't been done before. Things which have been done, have been done to perfection by the old masters.”
While Nasernia has studied calligraphy, he doesn’t call himself a calligrapher. He uses calligraphy and letter forms, stylises them as informed by his study of Abstract Expressionists such as Cy Twombly.
He uses paint tubes as his tool, squeezing the paint straight out on to the canvas. The technique gives a thickness and crisp shape to his lines and a sense of speed, creating a tangible sense of movement and control in how the paint falls and settles.
It also reveals Nasernia's expert eye and skilful hand in composing multi-layered and multifaceted work.
“Coming up with your own personal style is not something you just decide on, it’s a process,” he says. “You always have to start learning the skills of the past, and the people who came before you.”
One of Nasernia’s great sources of inspiration was the art of Persian miniature paintings and its pinnacle, Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, (1525-35), also known as the Book of Kings.
The 16th-century manuscript was commissioned by the emperor Shah Ismail who sought to illustrate the Shahnameh, an epic poem which details the history of Persia’s rulers, written by the poet Ferdowsi between 977 and 1010.
Shahnameh, which has now been split and separated, features detailed miniatures illustrating the myths, heroic epics and battles of pre-Islamic Iran.
“We go back, every now and then as a nation to that book to find out what created this idea of Iran,” he says. “What does it mean in that primordial battle between good and evil? It is the same dynamic which has been going on through history, which we will be revisiting again.”
Nasernia channelled the sense of drama, the climax of movement, the entanglement of elements from the miniatures he studied in the Book of Kings, into his work.
Each canvas reveals a scene of juxtaposition. Traditional and contemporary, chaos and order, movement and stillness, moments of violence and tranquillity, good and evil — the viewer senses Nasernia’s immediate sense to capture this battle and balance.
“Good and evil are two sides of the same coin,” he says. “But the balance has to be always maintained.”
Sasan Nasernia’s solo exhibition Calligraphic Confluence is running until October 31 at Mestaria Gallery in Alserkal Avenue
Sharjah Arabic calligraphy — in pictures
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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Studying addiction
This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.
Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.
The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
