Mehdi Saeedi

Mehdi Saeedi (Persian: مهدی سعیدی ‎‎ was born in Tehran), is an internationally renowned artist and designer based in Philadelphia. His aesthetics have become a mainstay of design in many regions, especially in those using the Arabic and Iranian scripts as their alphabet. His special focus and proficiency in typography and calligraphy leads him to be recognised as the first designer who employed shaping of letters in forms and shapes (Zoomorphism) in graphic design. Moreover, in another part of his works, he tries to use the principles of calligraphy in type design. Accordingly, Mehdi determined and founded “Letters Melody” course and teaches in Iran’s Universities as well as holding some international workshops in other countries to make people with different language background familiar with the beauty of letters in art and graphic design. In 2013, he also founded “First International Exhibition of Type Design”, as part of Silver Cypress biennial, a competition that devoted to Persian type 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 designer in Iran’s graphic history. Among which are: Grand Prize, Taiwan International Poster Design Award, Taiwan, 2007; Grand Prize, “Five Stars Designers’ Banquet”, International Invitational Poster Triennial of Osaka, Japan, 2009; Top Award, 15th International Invitational Poster, Colorado, USA, 2007; First Prize, 12th International Poster Triennial, Ekoplagat ́11, Slovakia, 2011 and Gold Medal in “Graphis poster annual 2013”, USA etc.

There are additionally several publications of Mehdi Saeedi’s collection as well as the selection of artworks that the recent one of those in 2013 was published with the title of “From Contour to Calligraphy” in 384 pages. Furthermore, he is included among 30 designers in Second edition of "New Masters of Poster Design" that features the best poster designers currently working all over the world.

Publications

Since now, 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” (ISBN 9786006413082), was published by Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. This book, which is in 90 pages, consists of approximately 70 color reproductions of posters and 46 logos and accompanied with two introductions by Ghobad Shiva (AGI) from Iran and Thierry Sarfis from France.

His Second book “From Script to Calligraphy: Collection of Mehdi Saeedi's Posters” , which is a collection of Mehdi’s works in a decade, was published in Germany in 2008.

In 2013, Mehdi published his recent book “From Contour to Calligraphy” in 384 pages. 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. First section consists of art-pieces that inspired by Persian calligraphy and second and third parts are based on works that created by two diverse kinds of an innovative type design titled “Modern Persian1” and “Modern Persian2”. This book begins with fifth introductions of world-top masters in visual arts including: Alain Le Quernec (AGI) from France, Rene Wanner and Niklaus Troxler (AGI) from Switzerland, U.G Sato (AGI) from Japan and Aydin Aghdashloo 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 70’s and 80’s 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^[1] that features around 30 top poster designers currently working all over the world, Atlas of Graphic Designers^[2] 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^[3] 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 , 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.^[4]

References

External links

Official homepage

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 178404422

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