Lawrie Shabibi
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Artists
  • Exhibitions
  • Art Fairs
  • News
  • Public Art
  • Viewing Room
  • Videos
  • Publications
  • Press
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Store
Cart
0 items $
Checkout

Item added to cart

View cart & checkout
Continue shopping
Menu

Artworks

Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Timo Nasseri, Unknown Letter III, 2015

Timo Nasseri German-Iranian, b. 1972

Unknown Letter III, 2015
Wood
100 x 152 x 10 cm
39 3/8 x 59 7/8 x 4 in
Edition of 3
Courtesy of the Artist and Lawrie Shabibi
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3ETimo%20Nasseri%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EUnknown%20Letter%20III%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2015%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EWood%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E100%20x%20152%20x%2010%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0A39%203/8%20x%2059%207/8%20x%204%20in%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22edition_details%22%3EEdition%20of%203%3C/div%3E
Nasseri’s work ‘Unknown Letters’ was inspired by the life of the calligrapher Ibn Muqla (885-940, Baghdad), who attempted to add four letters to the Arabic alphabet in 935. These invented...
Read more
Nasseri’s work ‘Unknown Letters’ was inspired by the life of the calligrapher Ibn Muqla (885-940, Baghdad), who attempted to add four letters to the Arabic alphabet in 935. These invented letters got lost and were never added to the alphabet, but his system of proportional letters is still valid today. Nasseri began an in-depth research of the Arabic script and alphabet, paying particular attention to its forms and aesthetics. ‘While searching for the letters, it occurred to me that Ibn Muqla might have seen missing letters in the stars.’ So he started looking for the constellations that might have formed the shapes of these letters in the night sky over Baghdad that would have been visible in 935. Picking out shapes from the stars and using Ibn Muqla's rules of calligraphy and proportion to create the missing letters, Nasseri's research culminates in a series of sensuously carved walnut and steel sculptures.
Close full details
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email
Previous
|
Next
690 
of  717
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2026 LAWRIE SHABIBI
Site by Artlogic
Facebook, opens in a new tab.
Twitter, opens in a new tab.
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Artsy, opens in a new tab.
Join the mailing list
Send an email
View on Google Maps
Ocula, opens in a new tab.

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Reject non essential
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join Mailing List

Thank you for signining up to Lawrie Shabibi.  Please note that at the moment we are not accepting any artist submissions. 

Interests *

Categories *

Sign up

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.