Miyaan Saraa ميان سرا Between Homes
Miyaan Saraa is a somewhat archaic Persian word for the space between buildings, a small courtyard. I use it here, poetically, to refer to the space between the different places I have called home.
My focus here is on nature, particularly mountains. Also included is one of my calligraphic renderings of the word “Heech,” the Persian word for “Nothing.” This word, also, can denote a space, a void, a place in which to pour meaning.
View the elements of the exhibition:
It was 40 years ago that I last tasted the air and water of Iran, the home of my childhood and adolescence. In my practice of calligraphy, painting and tài jí quán I recognize the importance of being where I am—of not lingering back where I was and not leaning forward into anticipation. It has not been easy to apply this awareness to my heart, to feel truly at home where I am. I still have that “del tangi”–that tightening of the heart–for the place where I grew up, and I know that tightening of the heart is not good for health and well-being.
In this exhibit I paint mountains in honor of the first place that I learned how to be present where I am. In the mountains there is little room for error. One must be squarely over each footstep. One must learn to read the weather and the length of the day, to gauge how much water to carry and where the next water will be found, and to measure out one’s resources to make it to shelter before becoming too tired. I learned the mountains of my childhood not from any book–the mountains were my teacher–and it set the pattern for my ability to learn from the slow build up of experience.
Also on display are a large number of my calligraphic works. Calligraphy is my daily practice in learning to be where I am at each moment. The works on display are digital reproductions based on commissions created for clients all over the world. They are printed with special long-lasting inks on acid-free paper. For those viewing this exhibit online, the majority of the calligraphic works included in this exhibit can be found on my World Calligraphy Instagram account. If you would like a print of a specific calligraphy piece, please contact me. They are available on archival watercolor paper. Find one that speaks to you!
S. J. Thomas
استوار طوماس
2018/1397
