Div (Demon) as the Other: A Levinasian Reading of the Works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam

Chamsouraki, Bahram

doi:10.22034/ias.2026.533593.2424

Div (Demon) as the Other: A Levinasian Reading of the Works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Bahram Chamsouraki

Department of Art and Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Art, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/ias.2026.533593.2424

Abstract

This article, with a comparative look at the works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam and the ideas of Emmanuel Levinas, re-examines the depiction of the demon (Div) in Persian painting. In Iranian mythological and artistic discourse, the demon has always been a symbol of absolute evil and the rejected "Other"; however, Muhammad Siyah Qalam, in a different manner, represents demons as independent, vulnerable beings engaged in everyday actions. This artistic approach resonates with the central concepts of Levinas's philosophy, such as the independence and irreducibility of the Other, the critique of totalitarianism, and the face as an ethical call. The present research, employing qualitative content analysis and an interpretive approach, examines samples of Muhammad Siyah Qalam's paintings and compares them with Levinas's theories. The results indicate that Siyah Qalam's demons, contrary to the prevalent stereotypical and one-dimensional image, possess an independent and multi-layered identity; faces that, in their thoughtful, weary, or pained gaze, set aside the mask of absolute evil and call us to an ethical responsibility toward the "Other." This research ultimately concludes that Siyah Qalam, centuries before the formulation of the theory of the Other in Levinas's philosophy, provided in his works the possibility of a humane and empathetic encounter with the Other, thus transforming art into a realm for critiquing the totalitarian and one-dimensional perspective.
Research Objectives:

Re-reading and interpreting the image of the "demon" in the works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam, emphasizing the independence and facelessness of these beings, in contrast to the stereotypical and one-dimensional representation of the demon as a symbol of absolute evil.

A comparative examination of this artistic approach with Emmanuel Levinas's thoughts on the "Other," especially concepts such as the irreducibility of the Other, the critique of totalitarianism, and the face as an ethical call.

Research Questions:

How does the representation of the demon in Muhammad Siyah Qalam's paintings distance itself from mythological clichés and a totalitarian perspective, and highlight the human aspects and the facelessness of the "Other"?

On what levels and dimensions can a relationship be established between this artistic perspective and Levinas's moral philosophy regarding responsibility toward the Other and the critique of totalitarianism?

Keywords

The OtherMuhammad Siyah QalamLevinasDiv (Demon)

Subjects

philosophy of arts

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