Ornate lettering and artistically arranged geometric patterns have defined the visual culture of the Middle East for centuries. Depicting sentient beings has been traditionally condemned in the Islamic world, inspiring artists to find alternative forms of aesthetic expression. In modern Western painting, by comparison, there has been a move from objectivity towards abstraction. Iranian-born, Vancouver-based artist Salar Ahmadian has embraced both movements, and his paintings transform written characters into abstract, expressive patterns and compositions. The gaudy colours are reminiscent