Idrani Calligraphy
Trent Pehrson
A small collection of Idrani calligraphy
Explore the Exhibit About This Exhibit About the Artist Trent Pehrson
A small collection of Idrani calligraphy
Explore the Exhibit About This Exhibit About the Artist
This exhibit explores Idrani calligraphy through a collection of early studies and experiments in
writing. Several works recreate the appearance of documents from an imagined Idrani past, including
deeds,
an ancient scroll fragment, a page from a spell book, and pages from an early Sipokhi alphabet book.
Using distressed paper, parchment, ink, watercolor, and colored pencil, these pieces treat writing not
simply as a means of recording language, but as an artifact shaped by history, culture, and the hands
of those who wrote it.
The exhibit also highlights the development of Idrani calligraphy itself. Among the works is a treasure
map that represents the earliest surviving example of Idrani calligraphy created by Trent Pehrson at age
eleven. At the other end of the collection are examples of newly constructed writing systems developed
as part of Pehrson's work teaching conlangers how to create calligraphic scripts. Together, the pieces
demonstrate an enduring fascination with the relationship between language and visual form—and with the
idea that a writing system can possess its own history, personality, and artistic identity.