Red Supplication Calligraphy Ascending into Flag Banners, 1982
September 25th, 2016
This poster displays the calligraphic arts as a subtle means to recall ‘Ashura. The Shi’i supplications to Imam Husayn proclaimed at Karbala are written across the bottom part of the poster. The “lam” and “alif” letters stretch vertically into banner staffs. Banners of jewel-toned green, red, and gold gracefully wave across the black background, reminders of the banners carried by the Shi’is at the Battle of Karbala as well as by contemporary mourners during ‘Ashura mourning processions. The image visually collapses the past and present through a continuity of ritual mourning, expressed here through calligraphic form.