Sahmodin Avarzamani (1947-2020), was an Iranian artist with a great sense of devotion and a deep spiritual connection to art. Avarzamani was especially drawn to painting, which he viewed as an ideal medium to enhance the aesthetic impact of Quranic verses as manifestations of God.

With great sincerity, Avarzamani saw himself as a humble artist engaged in a noble effort to embody the hidden mystical concepts of the holy book. The centrality of the sacred word of Allah appears as a repeated subject in his work, indicating the oneness of God as a primary code and foundation to the world being. The motifs that circulate around Allah’s spiritual word symbolize the concepts of good, evil, beauty, fury, and all other manifestations of the divine. Even the animals mentioned in the sacred book are illustrated symbolically.

Started in 1970, this monumental artwork is the fruit of forty-five years of continuous, focused effort. It includes 114 unique designs for each of the 114 Surahs, each realized through a language of skillfully rendered and ornamentally complex floral motifs. Completed in September 2020, Avarzamani died six months after completing the final painting.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 105x105 cm
Year: 1978-2020