A solitary voyage of spiritual discovery

The Iranian sculptor's work, which is on display at the Third Line Gallery, merges metal and spirituality.

The artist next to his piece Khalvat. Courtesy Sahand Hesamiyan

There is no direct translation in English of the Farsi word khalvat. It seems to signify simultaneous separation and intimacy, with one translation describing it as “a state of being separated while being intimate”. The complexity of the word has lent its use to a Sufi context, when one is in solitude but connecting deeply either with the higher self or the eternal power of God. This is closer to the translation that Sahand Hesamiyan offers when I ask him about his choice of title for his first solo exhibition in Dubai, currently showing in The Third Line gallery.

“It is a private sanctum, a private place where you can think and contemplate,” he says. “However, it is not necessarily a physical place, your khalvat can also be in your mind.”

My first feeling when I entered the empty gallery, a few hours ahead of its opening, was that I was privileged to be experiencing this art alone.

The exhibition centres around one primary sculpture that sits in the centre of the gallery, large and imposing in its presence but at the same time delicate and inviting. The sculpture, made of 1.7 tonnes of steel and stainless steel, resembles a spaceship or some other kind of intergalactic vessel. Its many facets are cleverly welded together over a skeletal structure to give it geometric form and also create the illusion that it floats, because it touches its reinforced stucco base at only four precise points.

At one end, the structure comes together in a point – the same point of unity that all Islamic geometry revolves around, the same centre of gravity for Sufic meditation and the symbol used across Arabesque architecture to signify the oneness and central presence of God.

The other end is a circular opening. Its circumference is the height of an average person and the whole structure is angled so that the eye is guided directly through to the central point. Inside, golden stars line its surface and, as you let your eyes wander, you are lost in Hesamiyan’s universe. As if this was not captivating enough, the exhibition’s soundtrack – Tanhaei, a composition of violin, harp and balaban (a reed instrument) has a completely spellbinding effect.

“I want people, when they come to this part of the sculpture, to have a spiritual feeling and to think about this as the infinite universe,” explains the artist. “And it should be experienced alone.”

Loneliness plays an integral role. The title of the soundtrack, composed by Hossein Alizâdeh, translates to lonesomeness, the khalvat is a place of isolation and Hesamiyan’s practice is one of solitary dedication.

“I am mesmerised by the domes of ancient houses in Iran and my inspiration starts there,” he says. “Then I spend many months designing the structure using precise geometry and mathematics before I begin making the parts.”

Hesamiyan is a craftsman. In his own workshop in Tehran, he cuts and moulds each piece of steel himself. For this show, all the individual pieces were shipped to Dubai and assembled over five days on-site in the gallery. Also included in the exhibition are maquettes of the large sculpture, wall hangings based on the same design and a series of silkscreen prints and photographs showing the artist’s process.

“During producing and making the piece I only concentrate on the mechanics,” he says, “but during the design process I certainly have the same sense of spirituality that I wish the audience to have. I want to give the audience a sense of self discovery and spiritual discovery.”

Khalvat runs until December 24 at The Third Line Gallery, Dubai. For more information, visit www.thethirdline.com