Calligraphy is the most pervasive element in Islamic art. The preoccupation with beautiful writing in both historical and contemporary art extends beyond scripture to secular and even banal texts. This calligraphic sculpture takes the form of the colloquial Persian expression Sepeleshk, which is roughly equivalent to the popular American phrase "no way." It has been suggested that this saying may have originated among gamblers unsuccessfully throwing dice, indicating that it once had a somewhat coarser meaning. Sepeleshk is one of a series of commonplace expressions, tongue twisters, nursery rhymes, and slogans that Iman Safaei has used in his calligraphic work, rendered in iron, brass, and neon, at small and large scale. These works speak to the ubiquity of writing in modern-day society as a means of both artistic expression and communication, regardless of the significance of the message. Still best known in Iran, especially as a graphic artist, Safaei has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Tehran, as well as in London, New York, Miami, and Basel.

• Komaroff, Linda. In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018.

• Komaroff, Linda. "Islamic Art Now and Then." In Islamic Art: Past, Present, Future, edited by Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom, 26-56. New Haven, New York, and London: Yale University Press, 2019.