For the first in a series of practical courses as part of our 2016 programme, Wysing Poly, Wysing studio artist Soheila Sokhanvari will teach a two-day course on egg tempera and ink painting; both integral elements of her practice. As part of the course, Sokhanvari will be joined by Dr Spike Bucklow, Senior Research Scientist at Cambridge University’s Hamilton Kerr Institute, for an introductory talk into the history and associated symbolism of these ancient techniques.

During this rare opportunity, Sokhanvari will build on Bucklow’s historical context, teaching participants how to make and then paint with egg tempera and charcoal-based India ink, using traditional methods whilst also giving an insight into their use in a contemporary context.

Over the course participants will gain an understanding of the history and tradition of these ancient techniques and by the end of the course will have acquired the practical skills and knowledge to be able to prepare and use the materials independently.

During the two days participants will also be given a tour of Sokhanvari’s studio at Wysing. There will also be an opportunity to view the Wysing exhibition, The Practice of Theories.

Soheila Sokhanvari is a multi-media artist whose work is rooted in her Iranian heritage as a reflection of her experiences of loss of homeland in her childhood entwined with political events and collective trauma. Trained as a Persian miniature painter as a child she is inherently drawn to narratives that combine her Eastern and Western heritage.  She describes her work as an aesthetic skin to deeper political layers and narrative.

Spike Bucklow originally trained as a chemist but, after making special effects for films such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he retrained as a paintings conservator. He completed a PhD in the History of Art at Cambridge in 1996 and since then has been the Research Scientist at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, a world-leading centre for the restoration of paintings. The opportunity to work on some of Britain’s greatest medieval works of art inspired him to study the traditional worldview that created them. His publications The Alchemy of Paint (2009) andThe Riddle of the Image (2014) explore the profound links between art, science and religion.