London, UK, 19 September 2024 – An exhibition of exquisite miniature paintings by the esteemed artist Farkhondeh Ahmadzadeh has recently opened at the Aga Khan Centre in London in a show curated by Esen Kaya. Seven Pavilions of Love is inspired by the Haft Paykar (The Seven Beauties), a romantic allegorical poem of the medieval period written by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavī in 1197. The miniatures in this series depict the transformation of King Bahram from a worldly ruler dominated by earthly desires to a wise one.

In the Haft Paykar, King Bahram falls in love with seven princesses and wins them as his brides. He orders his architect to construct seven domes, one for each of his new brides. The architect tells him that each of the seven climes is ruled by one of the seven planets and advises him to assure good fortune by adorning each dome with the colour that is associated with each clime and planet. The seven princesses then take up residence in their own individual splendid pavilion and the king visits each one on successive days of the week.

Through his encounters with the seven princesses, King Brahram gains a deeper understanding of love as the guiding force for justice and spiritual enlightenment.

Each of Ahmadzadeh’s paintings, created between 2014 and 2016, depicts one of the princesses in her domed pavilion representing a specific day of the week and a colour according to the seven planets.

An essential feature of Ahmadzadeh’s miniature paintings is the way she brings together calligraphy, geometry and Islamic (biomorphic) motifs, regarding them as the “pillars of Persian illumination”.

Ahmadzadeh took calligraphy lessons from the age of 18 and learned the art of illumination from several different teachers in her home country, Iran. Having moved to London in 2007, her exploration of miniature paintings was largely inspired by poring over old, illustrated manuscripts in the British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was through careful study and observation of these, as well as looking at the work of the great Persian poets, which led Ahmadzadeh to Nizami’s masterpiece.

The Haft Paykar depicts a journey to enlightenment, and for Ahmadzadeh, the experience of working on the paintings over many months, deep in concentration and contemplation, became a spiritual journey of her own, moving from darkness – symbolised by the black dome of Saturday – to light, symbolised by the white dome of Friday.

Alongside calligraphy, illumination and ornate borders, miniature painting is a key “Art of the Book”. Though not a central sacred art of Islam, like Qur'anic recitation and calligraphy, it has a courtly, private allure. Its ethereal beauty can evoke contemplation of a hidden, mysterious world beyond what meets the eye. At its best, miniature painting transports the viewer to a dreamlike realm, offering a glimpse of Paradise.

Seven Pavilions of Love is on display at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery in London from Thursday 5 September to Sunday 1 December 2024.

About the artist

Farkhondeh Ahmadzadeh is an Iranian artist based in London. Her work explores the disciplines of Persian poetry manuscripts, sacred geometry and Persian miniatures. She has worked both as an academic and artist in Iran, America and Europe. For the last 20 years, Ahmadzadeh has regularly spent time living and studying under calligraphy masters in Iran. She was awarded the Jerwood Prize in 2011 for Islamic traditional art and continues to teach Islamic manuscript and Persian miniature at the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Art. Her work on Nizami's Haft Paykar has been exhibited in London and Scotland, and her painting of Reza Abbasi’s “seated man” is displayed at the British Museum.