Painting

01

Nothingness (هیچ/hiːtʃ/)

Acrylic on canvas (60"x48")

“The columns we built collapse, one by one, upon our heads and what remains of us is nothing… and nothing.”

In this artwork, fractured columns rise and collapse, each one echoing the curve of a single Persian letter. Together, they conjure a presence that feels familiar yet elusive. The word Heech is not written outright, but its spirit lingers in form, in void, in silence.

Heech holds a unique place in Persian art and philosophy. It appears frequently in the poetry of Omar Khayyam, where the fragility of existence and the illusion of permanence are laid bare in verse.

The word’s visual character, especially the elegant curve of the letter Heh (هـ), makes it a powerful motif in calligraphy, where meaning and motion merge in a dance of presence and absence.

 

As Khayyam wrote:

ای بس که نباشیم و جهان خواهد بود
نی نام ز ما و نی نشان خواهد بود
زین پیش نبودیم و نبود هیچ خلل
زین پس چو نباشیم همان خواهد بود

We were not, and the world still went on;
No name of ours, no trace once we’re gone.
Before us—nothing. After—still the same:
A silent Heech at the end of the name.

02

LIFE

Acrylic and mixed-media on canvas (36"x48")

This mixed media acrylic portrait reimagines the LIFE magazine cover of April 7, 1952, featuring Marilyn Monroe. While the original celebrates Hollywood’s golden era, this version shifts the palette and atmosphere to reinterpret a familiar icon through a contemporary lens. The result blends nostalgia with a fresh cultural narrative.
Marilyn’s dress becomes the focal point of transformation. It is redesigned with a repeating Persian calligraphic pattern based on the letter “هـ”, intertwined with a kilim-inspired motif. These elements bring Persian artistic heritage into dialogue with Monroe’s classic silhouette, creating a visual bridge between mid-century American imagery and Iranian decorative traditions.
Embossed elements, including the LIFE logo, article titles, issue date, and calligraphic pattern, add depth and tactile presence. The raised text contrasts with smooth acrylic areas, producing shifting shadows and texture. Together, these layers transform a historic image into a multidimensional contemporary artwork.

03

She Who Releases

Acrylic on canvas (60"x48")

“She Who Releases” portrays a woman whose body releases butterflies instead of breath or blood—symbols of renewal, courage, and the quiet evolution of the self. Set against a backdrop built from the Persian letter “هـ”, the artwork blends physical and spiritual transformation, turning the act of birth into a metaphor for all the moments in life when we shed, awaken, and begin again.

04

Together

Acrylic on canvas (60"x48")

05

Persian Pomegranate

Acrylic and mixed-media on canvas (36"x48")

“Persian Pomegranate” presents a bold, vibrant red pomegranate at its center, surrounded by subtle layers of Persian calligraphy and Gabbeh-inspired motifs embedded into the background. These hidden, textured elements emerge and disappear depending on the light, giving the piece a sense of quiet depth and cultural memory. The contrast between the glossy fruit and the muted, embossed patterns creates a visual dialogue between tradition and modernity, inviting the viewer to look closer and uncover the stories woven beneath the surface.

06

Mineral Universe

Acrylic on canvas (60"x40")

07

Thuluth Calligraphy

Acrylic and mixed-media on canvas (19.7"x27.5")

08

Persian Calligraphy | ب ت

Acrylic on canvas (20"x24")

© Mani Rezaeian, 2025 © Mani Rezaeian – Graphic Designer & Visual Artist. All rights reserved.