Musicalligraphy: Persian Calligrapher Performs in Abiquiu

By Karima Alavi
Photos by Karima Alavi and Rafaat Ludin
Video by Rafaat Ludin
Information on Musicalligraphy provided by Bahman Panahi

Iran and Abiquiu wove together artistic traditions on October 4th with a Musicalligraphy performance by Bahman Panahi and Aimee Wilson, director of the Abiquiu-based Unashay Grief Retreat.

​Bahman travelled from France to Abiquiu as a faculty member of the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts. Their program, titled “Music for the Eyes,” was an event that drew together world renown painters, musicians, and calligraphers. On the evening of October 4, viewers were privileged to watch in silence as Bahman created a painting inspired by songs written and performed by Aimee. This process of drawing upon music to bring forth a work of art is referred to by Mr. Panahi as “Musicalligraphy” or The Art of Writing Sound.

Bahman Panahi selecting the brush and paint he’ll use for the next section of his painting.

What is Musicalligraphy?

Musicalligraphy is a unique artistic concept created by Bahman Panahi, master calligrapher, musician, and researcher of the relationships between sound and form. Rooted in both Persian calligraphy and classical musical traditions, Musicalligraphy bridges the visual and the auditory, the written and the performed. It explores how sound can be written, and how lines,
points, shapes, and rhythms of calligraphy can resonate like musical notes. The practice is at once a meditation on harmony and a dialogue between two universal languages: writing and music.

A live Musicalligraphy performance is a journey where sound and image unfold together. The gestures of the calligrapher become a choreography on paper, while the sound of the instrument, the voice of a singer, or the rhythm, echoes the movement of the pen. Each stroke carries a vibration, each note extends into visual form. The performance becomes a space where audiences witness the transformation of words into music and music into image,
blending spirituality, poetry, concentration, and harmony. It is at once an aesthetic experience and a contemplative encounter, inviting each participant to “see the sound” and “hear the line.”

The soothing voice of Aimee Wilson inspires Bahman Panahi’s brush to glide across the canvas. You can watch the development of the painting on the large screen that was linked to an overhead camera.

Audience questions and discussion after the painting was completed.

About the Artists:

Bahman Panahi is a Franco-Iranian artist, master calligrapher and musician. He studied traditional calligraphy and music with great Persian masters and pursued advanced studies in music, eventually creating his own interdisciplinary approach that unites both practices. He earned his PhD at the Sorbonne University, where he explored the connections between music, calligraphy, and visual expression. Based in Paris, he has presented lectures, workshops, and exhibitions worldwide, and his works are held in numerous private and public collections. His creation, Musicalligraphy, embodies his lifelong exploration of the intimate correspondences between visual rhythm and musical vibration.

Aimee and Bahman

Aimee Wilson has collaborated with artists across different disciplines, bringing sensitivity and depth to performances that combine music, poetry, and visual arts. In Musicalligraphy, Aimee Wilson accompanies Bahman Panahi with her voice and guitar, adding a lyrical and human dimension to the dialogue between sound and calligraphic form

​For information on other Abiquiu-based events at Dar al Islam offered by the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts, see my Abiquiu News articles posted on August 8 and 22.

For additional information on Aimee Wilson and the Unashay Grief Retreat to take place at Dar al Islam from November 13-16, see my Abiquiu News article posted on September 19. The article includes a link to register for a special fund-raising event on Saturday, November 15 that will support the many outreach programs Unashay offers to northern New Mexico communities. The registration deadline for a five-part meal on that day is Sunday, November 9.

Group photo by Rafaat Ludin