Atousa Saberi
Artists
Atousa Saberi
PhD candidate, scientist to be, engineer, and artist
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Statement
I have been doing drawing, painting, and calligraphy since I was 10 years old. Art has always been a source of peace and joy for me. Aside from the pleasure I get from performing art, I also enjoy thinking about the proportions or ‘measures” that makes them beautiful. That is how I ended up becoming a mechanical engineer, and an ocean scientist. My artistic views have helped me illustrate the road map of my thoughts to come up with creative approaches in solving problems. I believe both math and art are the nature's tongue and I make sure to use both in communicating beauty in science and knowledge.
Artworks
Compass of Life
30 x 33 cm
Glossy Paper
March 2021
“The compass of life” is a combination of Persian calligraphy, Persian poetry, and mathematics.
The word compass (geometry tool) is typically used as a metaphor for revolution of the Earth and passage of time in Persian poetry. Hafez, the poet of 14th century says:
“I used to mind my own business like a compass’s moving leg just going on the periphery, but the craziness of revolving days (i.e., changing times) suddenly engulfed me (like the other leg of the compass engulfed by the circle) and I got involved with everyday things”.
The use of geometry in his poetry to describe passage of time, inspired me to use Golden ratio in creating arcs of circles as ledger lines in calligraphy of the poem.