Irik Scroll
Trent Pehrson
A scroll case and scroll designed to represent a Vulcan-like culture
Explore the Exhibit About This Exhibit About the Artist Trent Pehrson
A scroll case and scroll designed to represent a Vulcan-like culture
Explore the Exhibit About This Exhibit About the Artist
The Irik Scroll is an exploration of Vulcan's imagined ancient past, inspired by Diane Duane's
concept of the Irik nation in her novel Spock's World. The scroll presents the C'thia mantra, a
foundational statement of Vulcan philosophy that places logic at the heart of Vulcan civilization.
Written entirely in the Idrani language, the text transforms this imagined Vulcan artifact into an
expression of the Idrani language and its own evolving traditions of writing.
The visual language of the scroll draws particular inspiration from the Star Trek: Enterprise
episode "Kir'Shara," in which an ancient artifact holographically reveals the original writings of
Surak. The Irik script was developed in response to that evocative vision of Vulcan writing, combining
the imagined antiquity of the Irik tradition with the distinctive calligraphic possibilities of Idrani.
The completed scroll was later donated as a prize for a qualifying level of contribution to a
fundraising campaign supporting a documentary, giving the work a life beyond the gallery as both an
artwork and a tangible artifact for a supporter of the project.