Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Golnaz Fathi

Khatt Chronicles in Conversation with Golnaz Fathi

From Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design from the Arab World by afikra

January 23, 2026 · 33 min · Season 4 · Episode 11

About this episode

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Golnaz Fathi about her journey as a visual artist and her unique approach to merging calligraphy with painting.

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès interviews Iranian visual artist Golnaz Fathi, who starts by sharing her educational journey from her initial training as graphic designer and classical calligrapher, to reaching her her final goal of becoming a painter and visual artist. Golnaz explains her love for all kinds of written scripts; her fascination with their shapes, their ways of carrying meaning and emotions. She describes how she managed to merge all her learned creative skills and passions (scripts and painting) into the type of written art she has been creating for decades. She challenged herself to break the rules of calligraphy and write along musical rhythms, like a performer, capturing the essence of writing — writing the "unwritten" that expressed pure emotion. She talks about pushing boundaries, creating cultural bridges and inviting viewers to respond in individual and imaginative ways to her work. She describes her inspirations acquired through art books, and how certain abstract expressionist artists that have had an impact on her way of creating art. She candidly relays the challenges she faced in Iran in having access to modern and international art, and her joy the first…

People in this episode

Host: Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès

Guest: Golnaz Fathi

Topics covered

  • visual art
  • calligraphy
  • cultural bridges
  • music
  • poetry
  • abstract expressionism

Keywords

  • Golnaz Fathi
  • calligraphy
  • visual art
  • Iran
  • Nizar Kabbani
  • music
  • poetry
  • abstract expressionism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Iranian

Places: Iran

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