Negar Nahidian
Negar Nahidian received her MFA in Arts & Visual Technology. As a graphic designer and educator with more than 17 years of experience her work incorporates classical Persian motifs and elements of modern design and technique, weaving together the aesthetics of multiple cultures. In her free time Negar enjoys spending time with her family and friends, seeking spirituality and practicing her latest passion which is calligraphy. No matter what she does art and design is always a part of it.
During Covid, I too, like the rest of the world went through a very hard test in my life. Although I always run to my art for spiritual guidance and therapy, I needed something more, something new, something I longed for a very long time and by the grace of Allah (swt) I was connected to a master calligrapher in Iran and began online lessons and so I dove in. I swam in calligraphy day and night and loved ones cheered me on.
For this project I knew from the beginning that a wave was going to be in my work and with every session of the workshop my ideas shifted and on the last day it was like lightning hit me. Waves of hu crashing over me! It’s all water, It’s all love and it might seem harsh at times but it had to happen exactly the way it did.
Waves of Hu (your breath)
Shallow breaths,
waiting for the unveiling of
the grand canvas.
The permanent art
in my home and heart forever.
My heart racing,
worries crashing like waves over me.
Taking me under where
there is no air to breathe.
This was going to be in my home,
in my view, in my heart forever…
The white fabric was pulled off
and there it was in all its glory
in green hues of ink
a beautiful calligraphy:
Ya Zainab-e-Kobra
And right away I could breathe,
hu hu hu…
Waves of love and safety
Waves of Ya Zainab
And throughout the years,
as the waves come crashing,
I have to remind myself
of the dream.
What are dreams after all?
A parallel universe?
Zainab was unveiled in my home,
In my heart.
Breathe, hu hu hu…
You are exactly where you’re supposed to be
Zainab,
She saw nothing but beauty.
She saw Husain, the grandson of the prophet,
the son of Ali and Fatimah, the light of the universe.
She saw “Husain is from me
and I am From Husain”
giving his life for Love.
She saw the waves
Her heart saw the essence of Allah (swt)
She knew she had to be there to witness
Love in its complete shape,
totally unconditional Love
I have Zainab in my life
I have Zainab in my heart
I just need to remember
to breathe, hu hu hu…
I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be
So are you.
Ya Zainab.