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khatam (Persian micro-mosaic)

38 by 24 cm. 15 by 9 1/2 in.

Executed in 2018.

Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai

Farhad Ahrarnia’s Khatam-based works also employ an Iranian decorative craft form to explore Modernism and Constructivism. K♊hatam is an Iranian micro-mosaic technique dating back 600 years and used decoratively to embellish domestic objects. Individual strings of long thin filaments made from organic materials such as ivory, camel bone, wood, copper, silver and brass are methodically grouped together, then cut at the cross section to reveal strips of complex geometric compositions.

Ahrarnia’s interest in exploring the Khatam marquetry as a mark-making medium combines an aesthetic tradition and applies it to sem♓inal 20th century Modernist works.