Persian Miniature Painting Course: Divs (Demons) & Angels- Zoom Online

When: Sat 26 February 2022 16:00-18:00
Where: Online - Zoom

Persian Miniature Painting: Divs (Demons) & Angels

Short course

by Anahita Alavi

Date: Saturday, 15 Jan to 5 March 2022

Time: 16:00 -18:00 (UK time)

The course will be held on 8 consecutive Saturdays

Type of Event: : Zoom Online Course

Course Fee: £250 for non-SOASian

 £210 for SOAS Students

Considered an unpleasant and ill-nature supernatural creature, at times a combination of human and animal characteristics, Div is cosmologically positioned at the longest distance away from the creator. Angels on the other hand, are closest to the divine, belonging to the celestial realm. They are said to be obedient, keeping the cosmological order of the creation. Divs and angels are innumerably depicted in Persian miniatures. The former threatens both kings’ thrones and heroic figures whereas the latter accompanies the prophet Muhammad in his spiritual night journey.

This course will focus on the images of div and angel in Persian miniature paintings and various essential details involved in drawing and painting them. In this course you will learn:

•       How to draw divs’ body

•       How to draw divs’ facial details

•       How to draw angels’ body

•       How to draw angels’ wings & facial details 

•       To practice a few postures of each

•       How to prepare paper for the painting

•       Outlining and painting angels and divs

•       How to shade and render the fine details

Following a line of gradual development, students will be guided to practice several stages of drawing, colouring and outlining angel and div. Students’ practices will be checked one by one and necessary instructions will be given.

Participants at all levels of experiences are welcome. They will be guided step by step through various stages of making miniature paintings. Having previous knowledge and skill of brush techniques can be an advantage but is not a prerequisite.

Please note that the whole course will be recorded and you will receive the access link every week within a few hours after the live session. If you wish to rely merely on the recordings, you will get the full help and support from our tutor during the course.

Students will receive the list of required materials once they register.

The registration deadline is 10 Jan 2022, and given the help and support that you will receive during the course from our tutor, we have a limited number of places available (first one, first-served). For registration and more information about the course please email us on iranianartssociety@gmail.com.

Anahita Alavi has an MA in History of Art and Architecture of Islamic Middle East from SOAS University of London. An Iranian artist, she has learned Persian miniature painting and Islamic illumination under the supervision of a number of great masters in Iran. Her keen interest in the aforementioned areas led her to choose traditional art as her BA major. Aiming to enhance her theoretical-historical knowledge about Iranian culture and arts, Anahita also did an MA in Art Studies at the University of Tehran. She used to teach Persian painting and Islamic illumination at the Payame-Nur University of Tehran and a number of schools and institutes in Iran. In 2016, she started an entrepreneur project called Muqarnas Art sponsored by SOAS.

The project is concerned with teaching and producing Persian miniature and illumination. This aims to preserve the tradition of Miniature painting and Islamic illumination and transmit the respective knowledge and skills to enthusiastic students. To this end, Anahita has been teaching Persian miniature painting and Islamic Illumination courses at the SOAS London Middle East Institute and British Institute of Persian Studies and the Iranian Arts Society at SOAS.