Birds and Flowers in Persian art 

Anahita Alavi 

 

 

 

Date: Saturdays, 28 Feb 2025 - 21 Mar 2025 

Time: 16:30- 18:30 

 (GMT) 

The course will be held on 4 consecutive Saturdays 

 

 

Type of Event: Zoom Online Course 

Course Fee: £100 for SOAS Students 

                     £130  for non- SOASians 

 

 

 

Birds and flowers are an inseparable pair in Persian art and literature; together, they stand as the metaphor of the loved and the beloved both earthly and divine. In this course, we will explore the history and symbolism of birds and flowers in Persian art and culture, practice the intricate line work and study the tonal value which is essential to this style. Participants will also work on various compositions, combining different flowers with birds. 

Over 4 sessions, participants will learn how to create a harmonious composition, mastering the delicate drawing technique of this art form.  

This course is designed for everyone who has a passion to learn a new style from the  basics. So, no prior experience is required.  

By the end of the course, participants will have completed at least one refined Persian-style “flower and bird” drawing and developed their skills, laying the foundation for  brushwork technique, which will be covered in a following course.  

 

 

These are the materials you need:  

• Mechanical pencil 0.5 B 

• Normal pencil B  

• Mono and normal eraser 

• A4 Copy paper for drawing  

• A few A4 tracing paper 

 

The course will be running in 4 consecutive weeks with each session lasting 120 minutes. During the course, participants will be able to send their progress to our tutor and receive the instructions and feedback individually.  

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

 

The registration deadline is 26 Feb 2025. For registration and more information about the course please email us on iranianartssociety@gmail.com 

 

 

Anahita Alavi is an award winning artist and educator who holds 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-Noor 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 for Persian Studies.