I have been free drawing for a while, driven by the craving I have to create. It's an unconscious and spontaneous process. It is also very meditative and calming. It turns out that most of these drawings are rooted in my culture and are related strongly to nature. I have decided to tell stories of Persian mythology using this medium.
2020
Simorgh
The ‘conference of the Birds’ is a symbolic Persian story of the soul’s search for truth and was a source of influence on this piece. The birds gather to seek a king and the wisest of them suggests they undertake a journey to the court of the great Simorgh (meaning 30 birds) where they can achieve enlightenment. They pass through seven Valleys before reaching the abode of the great Simorgh. Only thirty birds make it to their destination. There they find that they themselves, collectively, have become the great Simorgh. In this piece, I adopted recent scientific photographs taken of the sun using high powered telescopes. The sun is the symbol of source energy here. Within the sun, there are hundreds of adjacent circles depicting individual aspects of consciousness. Although these circles are independent, they are contained within the whole. Outside the sun, I used iconic symbols of birds found within Persian mythology. One icon is utilized more than any other (30 times) and is shown within the boundary of the sun.
Mixed Media, Variable size, Fine Art Print, 2020
Arowana This piece focuses on symbolism within nature. I use the fish which is a symbol of water and relates to the Anahita, the Goddess of water in Ancient Persian. According to Persian Mythology, water and the fish are symbols of life, fertility, and blessings. This Goddess of fertility embraces the attributes of fruitful, warm waters that flow from the celestial realms into our lives, especially as the earth is renewed.
Free Drawing, Variable size, Fine Art Print, 2019
Shahmaran
Shahmaran, or the ‘snake goddess’ is considered to be the keeper of wisdom. The term consists of Shah (Iranian Ruler) and Maran (snakes). Shahmaran can be found within the book of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. Some believe her image can protect against bad events. The snake is a symbol of water and in Persian mythology it is believed that the snake is a master of storm clouds. They dwell within the seas and in times of lightening, they guide the rain to earth and cause fertility. In this piece, I use Shahmaran to relay a symbol of source energy, rain and fertility. The fish (sustained by the ocean) is subject to Shahmaran yet is depicted as honouring the bringer of fertility.
Free Drawing, Variable size, Fine Art Print, 2019
These works are available, if you are interested, Please email me.