WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM

13” x 18” Pine and acrylic paint

Back in 2010 I had the opportunity to visit the Indonesian National Museum in Jakarta while a special exhibit on Persian art was being presented. Prior to this, I had never given Persian art much attention, but this day I became mesmerized by the beauty I encountered. It was beauty laced through with spiritual meaning.

I viewed Persian ceramics that portrayed that there is order in the universe, and that through contemplating this order, serenity could be found within the beauty of Allah. I have come to realize that this is a predominant theme in Persian architecture- in the domes of mosques and in the tilework of buildings in general.

I sat and chatted with a woodcarver from Shiraz as he was working on his latest calligraphy – a passage from the Q’ran. He felt that his work represented the highest form of art in that it engaged his soul, the words of Allah, and wood in a spiritual unity. He experienced the beauty of Allah through his hands and his tools while the odor of fresh cut cedar provided somewhat of an incense – an ethereal presence of Allah.

Since that time I have had images of Persian art on my bulletin board, with the yearning to engage these motifs somehow in my own work.

I was stuck, however. I couldn’t just mimic Persian art. That would be cultural appropriation. I could not reproduce Persian art. It wasn’t mine to present, and yet I wanted somehow to honor its impact on me. Hints of Persian motifs did creep into some of my work – “Christianity in the Third Millennium” and “New Jerusalem”. But I have long wanted to feature this influence and not just hint at it.

And then – September 2022. Iran erupted in protests against the Regime. I had a dear Iranian friend who was deeply impacted by the violence in her homeland. I saw the motto, “Women, Life, Freedom” as a living reality in the heart of my friend.

I began to see Islamic art differently. Yes, it speaks of peace, beauty and serenity, but on the other hand it has a rigid structure and firm boundaries. Its greatest strength is also its weakness in that it opens itself up to be a validation of control by those who wield power.

I see the current rejection of Islam by many in Iran not so much as irreligion and atheism, but as an insistence on the beauty of the Persian spirit, and a push-back against those who would co-opt the name of Allah to promote oppression.

This piece honors the protesters. The design is reminiscent of the dome of a mosque. The colors are those of the flag of Iran. The golden orb is the spirit of this current Iranian generation. There is an upward surge, an outward flowing. Boundaries and restraints are being burst.

May freedom and peace be ishâllâh to the women of Iran and to the men who support their cause.