36"x60" Acrylic on canvas. ©2008. Each petal in this painting represents a letter of the Persian alphabet (starting from top to bottom). There are a total of 32 letters, stemming from a rich red background (red is common in Persian Rug). The painting is dedicated to Omar Khayyam, a Persian philosopher, poet, mathematician and astronomer of the 11th century.
History: There are perhaps some 200 million people around the world who have Persian ancestry. The most substantial populations are in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, but there are also significant numbers in neighboring countries including Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf states. The 1979 revolution, has also led to emigration from Iran and the creation of Persian-speaking diasporas in many countries worldwide, especially the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia. The largest urban community of Iranians outside Iran is now in the Los Angeles area. The Persian language is one of the world's oldest languages still in use today, and is known to have one of the most powerful literary traditions, with formidable Persian poets such as Ferdowsi, Hafez, Attar, Saadi, Nezami, Roudaki, Rumi and Sanai.