Persian Miniature Course:  

A Poetic Landscape of Your Own 

Anahita Alavi 

 

 

Date: Saturdays, 14 Dec 2024 -01 Feb 2025 

Time: 16:00- 18:00 

 (GMT) 

The course will be held on 8 consecutive Saturdays 

 

 

Type of Event: Zoom Online Course 

Course Fee: £210 for SOAS Students 

                   ​ £250  for non- SOASians

 

Persian miniatures have long been inspired by Persian poetry, which is often deeply symbolic and rich in metaphor. These miniature paintings encapsulated the essence of poetry in visual form, preserving its timeless beauty through the ages.  

Join us to step into the world of creation through the enchanting Persian miniature painting together, where intricate details meet poetry. In this hands-on course, you’ll be guided to create your own landscape inspired by a classical Persian poem. Along the way, you will explore the rich history and techniques of Persian miniatures, from delicate brushwork to the storytelling traditions that breathe life into the scene. 

 

What You Will Learn:  

• Create your own poetic landscape by blending traditional methods with your personal artistic vision. 

• Learn how to interpret poetry visually by transforming the words into narrative scenes  

• Understand the use of space, and learn to structure your miniature with the focus on balance, harmony and focal points to create a cohesive and engaging scene.  

• Gain hands-on experience in the fundamental traditional techniques, including creating the landscape colour palette, colour layering and fine brushwork techniques  

 

 

* Please note the course focuses on non-figurative landscape.  

 

The course will be running in 8 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 full list of the required and optional materials will be sent to you right after the registration.   

Students of all levels and experiences are welcome.  

 

The registration deadline is 10 Dec 2024. 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.