A celebration of Persian voices and talent

Sacred Geometry and Talismans by Saya Behnam

Art & Photography

Sacred Geometry
and Talismans

by Saya Behnam
“These codes and marks are the talismans of our new life, the binaries of home and abroad, the past and the present, dark and life forces, and the imagined with the real.”

Sacred Geometry and Talismans
by Saya Behnam

Div (Demon) by Saya Behnam
Div (Demon) • 22"W x 26"H • Saffron, walnut, gold, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and brazilwood on handmade paper © Saya Behnam

Co-creating with nature

T hese are a selection from a series of paintings where I am inspired by the sacred geometry in nature, miniatures, rugs, old talismans, and Persian mythic symbols. I also include modern codes and images such as binary codes, or images from memory, mythical and historical pectoral pool, and our day-to-day images seen in our modern life. These codes and marks are the talismans of our new life, the binaries of home and abroad, the past and the present, dark and life forces, and the imagined with the real.

Geometry of Love by Saya Behnam
Geometry of Love • 53"W x 42"H • Saffron, turmeric, weld, hibiscus, and patterns are from nature © Saya Behnam
Geometry of Summer by Saya Behnam
Geometry of Summer (2020) • Virginia bluebells, malachite, turquoise, and ink on paper © Saya Behnam
Talisman of Hard Days II by Saya Behnam
Talisman of Hard Days II • 26"W x 32"H • Hibiscus flower © Saya Behnam
Tree of Life by Saya Behnam
Tree of Life • 42"W x 26"H • brazilwood, turquoise, weld, saffron, and gold leaves on paper © Saya Behnam

Artist statement

Nature, with its juxtaposition of time and space, birth and death, natural patterns, structures of growth, decay, chaos, and order inspires my art practice. Creating my colors and inks from fresh, dried flowers, spices, plants, earth stones, and pigments—the medium’s intelligence, an essential aspect of my creative process—transforms them from just mediums to parts of places and time.

Furthermore, like any other living thing, flowers produce different colors according to various weather, soil, and location. Each color created is unique and specific to the moment, time, and environment, making them nonreplicable.

They become singular visual aesthetic records of that unique location and time.

Abstract calligraphy, influenced by various Asian languages, is embedded in my work. I consider them poems from nature. Other elements found in my pieces are sacred and fractal geometric patterns, intricate miniatures of ancient symbols and images, and intuitive lines and forms originated from trees, roots, or other natural sources. Additionally, they allude to Persian carpets and talismans, mythology, and even streaks of gold leaf as metaphors for purity, light, and sun.

Learn more about Sacred Geometry and Talismans.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Saya Behnam

Sayeh “Saya” Behnam is an Iranian-American artist born in Tehran, Iran.

Fleeing from war, turmoil, revolution, experiencing dictatorship, cultural and traditional barriers, all had a profound influence in her art and life.

She believes her art is where she can easily find and establish a true identity that could very much have been lost and undefined. Her art deals with the core concepts of the human being: life, death, freedom, the now, time, and more.

She is very active in the social and humanitarian art space, working with NGOs in the Middle East and the USA, especially with street children. She currently lives in northern Virginia, near the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. More at www.sbehnam.com.