SAMEH KHALATBARI
"Raise your words, not voice.
It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
- Rumi
1401 N/m Resistance
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No.1 - Resistance | 50" x 72" | Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
In the year 1401 Solar Hijri, corresponding to 2022 AD, in a country far away named “Iran”, women revolted against 44 years of religious dictatorship. The women who were suppressed for many reasons, simplest of which was their beautiful hair being banned.
In September 2022, a young girl, “Mahsa -Zheina- Amini” was arrested by Iranian morality police for mere reason of partial hair exposure for which reason she was later beaten to death.
This unbelievable incident became the spark for 1401 revolution in Iran. People came to streets and demanded “Women, Life, Freedom”.
“1401 N/m Resistance” is a work of art by an Iranian woman who has lived this theocracy for 33 years of her life and felt it with her own flesh and bone. The threads, reminding hairs, are signifying a woman’s resistance against all the pressure on her body. Pressure that comes from many fronts; from home to school to society there is no break. The red thread is the ultimate symbol of pressure and steadfastness while also showing being wounded and suffering.
As I worked on this series, I experimented with different techniques and materials, pushing the boundaries of my own creativity and exploring new ways to express my ideas. Through the use of natural threads, and intricate details, I sought to capture the essence of the suppressive behavior over women and create a sense of depth and movement within each piece.
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No. 2 - Chaos | 40" x 50" | Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 3 - Surge | 40" x 50" | Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
1401 N/m Resistance - Cities
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Demonstrations by the people began in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and soon spread to other cities, Isfahan, Rasht, Zahedan. In a show of solidarity, people took to the streets at night, calling out for freedom. The spark of hope shattered the darkness and brought people together in unity.
Tehran | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
Esfahan | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 4 - Solidarity | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
Rasht | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
Zahedan | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 5 - Zan (Woman In Farsi) | 30" x 50"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 6 - Opposition | 24" x 72"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 7 - Revolution | 24" x 72"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023
No. 8 - Martyr | 24" x 72"
Mixed Media on Canvas | 2023