Masud Valipour

Masud was born in southwest Iran, in 1956. Masud developed a keen interest in Persian Calligraphy in his late teens. His innate talent flourished without formal training in the tradition of his predecessors in classic Persian Calligraphy. He displayed extraordinary talent and discipline in this art form and gained recognition by the early 1980s. Masud began teaching calligraphy in his hometown of Ahwaz in 1985 until his departure to the United States in 1988. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Since his arrival in the US, he has continued teaching the classic style and works on various media including canvas, wood and paper. His distinct style developed gradually and matured by the mid-1990s. His work has been displayed at exhibits at UCLA and Columbia University. Masud was a participating artist at the 1994 Australian Festival of Persian Arts in Sydney. The latest gallery showing occurred in November 2007 in San Francisco, California.

Masud views each piece of literature in the context of its history, where the poet’s personal life as well as socio-political influences colored the writing. This detailed analysis leads to the choice of light and shadow in the background, edge tension, centered balance, and canvas orientation. He chooses a verse based on the subject, or sometimes its visual composition.