Farah Behbehani is a Kuwaiti artist and designer. She received her M.A. in Communication Design (Distinction) from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, London, in June 2007. Farah is a published author of ‘The Conference of the Birds’ (Thames and Hudson, London, 2009), a book based on Farid Ud-Din Attar’s 12th century Sufi allegorical poem. Illustrated with Jali Diwani calligraphy, the book is designed with a system to enable readers to understand the meaning and fluency of the calligraphic illustrations, giving greater insight into the intricacies of Arabic script.
Farah has also participated in a number of exhibitions internationally, including: ‘Arab Visual Art’, European Parliament, Brussels (2008); ‘Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World Festival’, Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. (2009); ‘The Future of Tradition – The Tradition of Future’, Haus Der Kunst, Munich (2010); Sharjah Biennial of Calligraphy, Sharjah Calligraphy Museum (2012); and ‘Pen to Paper’ Athr Gallery, Jeddah (2013). One of her latest body of work looks at the playful possibilities that letters can create, weaving together different narratives through intricate forms of threading and beading. Entitled ‘Stages of Ascent’, this work was exhibited in her first solo show at the Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait, in January 2014.