Mehdi Saeedi ( fa, مهدی سعیدی , born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

), is an Iranian-born artist and designer based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and he is a part-time faculty of

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...

at the Towson University in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United States. His aesthetics have become a mainstay of design in many regions, especially in those using the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

and

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

scripts Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...

as their

alphabet An alphabet is a standardized set of basic written graphemes (called letters) that represent the phonemes of certain spoken languages. Not all writing systems represent language in this way; in a syllabary, each character represents a syll ...

. His specialty in

typography Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), and ...

and

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

is the shaping of letters in forms and shapes ( Zoomorphism) in

. He also applies the principles of

type design Type design is the art and process of designing typefaces. This involves drawing each letterform using a consistent style. The basic concepts and design variables are described below. A typeface differs from other modes of graphic production su ...

. Mehdi created the "Letters Melody" art and graphic design course and teaches this in Iran's Universities as well as at some international workshops. In 2013, he also founded First International Exhibition of Type Design, as part of Silver Cypress. biennial, a competition that devoted to Persian

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

design for the first time. In consideration of Mehdi Saeedi's artworks, a large number of them have been selected for exhibition in many prominent museums, collections, major domestic and international exhibitions worldwide. They have also been published in several reputable international magazines. Mehdi won several prestigious and well-grounded awards both locally and internationally resulting in becoming known as the most awarded Iranian

graphic Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture, ...

designer in Iran's

history Among which are: Grand Prize,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

International

Poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...

Design Award,

, 2007; Grand Prize, "Five Stars Designers' Banquet", International Invitational

Triennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan, 2009; Top Award, 15th International Invitational

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, United States, 2007; First Prize, 12th International Poster

, Ekoplagat ́11,

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

, 2011 and

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

in "Graphis poster annual 2013", USA etc. Mehdi Saeedi's publications include 2013's ''From Contour to Calligraphy''. He is also included among 30 designers in the second edition of ''New Masters of Poster Design''. His works are featured in ''

The History of Graphic Design The History of Graphic Design is a two-volume series on the history of graphic design written by Jens Müller and edited by Julius Wiedemann. The first volume originally published in 2017, deals with the history of graphic design from 1890 to 1959 ...

''. Vol. 2, 1960–Today's book. He is also an AGI (

Alliance Graphique Internationale Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) is a club of the world's leading graphic artists and designers. There are 527 members from 43 countries. Its members have been collectively responsible for the identity design of most of the world's top co ...

) member.

Publications

Three books of Mehdi Saeedi's collection of works have been published, in both English and Persian. In 2005, Mehdi's first collection of works, ''Mehdi Saeedi: Collection of Graphic Works 1999–2004'' (), was published by Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. The book consists of approximately 70 color reproductions of posters and 46 logos and includes two introductions, by fellow Iranian graphic designer

Ghobad Shiva Ghobad Shiva ( fa, قباد شیوا , born 1940 in Hamadan, Iran) is an Iranian graphic designer. Career He graduated in 1966 from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran. He then spent several years acquiring practical experi ...

(AGI) and French designer Thierry Sarfis. A second book, ''From Script to Calligraphy: Collection of Mehdi Saeedi's Posters'', is a collection of Mehdi's works in a decade and was published in Germany in 2008. In 2013, Mehdi published the book ''From Contour to Calligraphy''. This book is a collection of his works through 14 years of professional efforts demonstrating Mehdi's approach to figurative calligraphy ( Zoomorphism or Tasvir-Negari) and Graphic Design. The content of the book is divided into three sections. The first section consists of art pieces that inspired by traditional Persian calligraphy, and the second and third sections are based on works utilizing contemporary design titled "Modern Persian1" and "Modern Persian2". This book begins with introductions by renowned visual artists including: Alain Le Quernec (AGI) from France, Rene Wanner and Niklaus Troxler (AGI) from Switzerland, U.G Sato (AGI) from Japan and

Aydin Aghdashloo Aydin Aghdashloo ( fa, آیدین آغداشلو; born October 30, 1940) is an Iranian painter, graphist, art curator, writer, and film critic. Early life and education Aydin Aghdashloo, the son of Mohammad-Beik Aghdashloo (Haji Ouf) and Nahi ...

from Iran. In addition, Mehdi authored ''5th generation of young Iranian graphic designers'', that is a book of selected works of those who born in 70s and 80s and pioneer in having different look on contemporary Iranian posters. Mehdi Saeedi is also featured in various world valid publications and collections that among them are:''Learn World Calligraphy'' that offers a unique glimpse of scripts worldwide and the calligraphers who write them and Covering nearly all of the world's writing systems, ''New Masters of Poster Design'' that features around 30 top poster designers currently working all over the world, ''Atlas of Graphic Designers'' a comprehensive collection illustrates the world of graphic design country by country, featuring the best graphic designers from all over the world., ''1000 Type Treatments'' and ''The Design of Dissent'' that examined graphic work focusing on social and political concerns from around the globe and is written and designed by Milton Glaser and Ilic'.

Honours and awards

* Grand Prix, Exhibition of Visual Arts, Iran, 1998 & 1999 * Honourable Mention, The 7th International Biennial of Poster, Mexico, 2002
Special Award, Poster Design Competition: "Books, Children and the Family", Iran, 2003
* Diploma of Honour, The 1st Book Cover Design Exhibition in the 16th Tehran International Book Fair, Iran, 2003 * First Prize, The 1st International Biennial of the Islamic World Poster, Iran, 2004 * Book Selection,

Centre Georges Pompidou The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...

, France, 2004
Art Residency, Cite, Paris, France, 2004–2005
* Honouring Scientific and Cultural Elite, Saudi Arabia, 2006 * Letter of Commendation, Tehran Municipality Art, Iran, 2006 * Third Prize, "4th Block" 6th International Triennial of Eco Posters and Graphics Art, Ukraine, 2006 * Special Award, 6th Trnava International Poster Triennial, Slovakia, 2006' * Top Award, 15th International Invitational Poster, Colorado, USA, 2007 * Grand Prize, Taiwan International Poster Design Award, Taiwan, 2007 * First Prize, 1st Competition of Best Self-promotional Logo Design, Iran, 2008 * Honourable Mention, 2nd International Socio-Political Poster Biennial, Poland, 2008 * Grand prize, "Five Stars Designers' Banquet", International Invitational Poster Triennial of Osaka, Japan, 2009' * Art Residency, Academy Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany, 2009 * Third Prize, International Biennial of Graphic Design of the Islamic World, Iran 2010 * Honourable Mention, 17th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, USA, 2011 * Art Residency, Guestroom Maribor, Slovenia, 2011
Bronze Medal, Taiwan International Poster Design Award, Taiwan, 2011
* First Prize, 12th International Poster Triennial, Ekoplagat´11, Slovakia, 2011 * Honourable Mention, The 4th International Socio-Political Poster Biennial, Poland, 2012
Fourth prize, 12 International Triennial of the Political Poster Show, Mons, Belgium, 2013

Special Award, Taiwan International Design Award
Taiwan, 2013 * Gold Medal, Graphis Poster Annual 2013, USA

References

External links

Official homepage
* http://www.designboom.com/design/mehdi-saeedi-from-script-to-calligraphy/ * http://www.graphicart-news.com/awesome-iranian-designer-mehdi-saeedi-inspirational-portfolio-38/ * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DvTAE9qmT4 * http://islamicartsmagazine.com/magazine/view/from_contour_to_calligraphy_by_mehdi_saeedi/ * http://theiranproject.com/blog/tag/iranian-graphic-designer-mehdi-saeedi/ * http://blogs.missouristate.edu/diversity/2011/03/15/eastern-mehdi-saeedi-continues-at-brick-city-galley/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20150120131004/http://www.postersofdiscontent.com/2008/artist15.html * http://www.typoday.in/2013/mehdi.html * http://theiranproject.com/blog/tag/iranian-graphic-designer-mehdi-saeedi/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20141105015608/http://aroundtheworldin1000days.com/mehdi-saeedi-melody-of-letters/ * http://www.payvand.com/news/13/aug/1203.html * http://www.posterpage.ch/exhib/ex279sae/ex279sae.htm * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saeedi, Mehdi Iranian artists Iranian calligraphers Iranian graphic designers Iranian typographers and type designers Iranian poster artists Contemporary painters Iranian expatriate academics American art educators People from Tehran 1979 births Living people Alumni of the University of Cambridge Iranian emigrants to the United States Towson University faculty