The artworks presented in this collection are inspired by Persian gardens, which have been interwoven in Persian art and culture since ancient times, inspiring artists, poets, architects, and calligraphers.
Symbolizing paradise on earth, these courtyard gardens have been appreciated for thousands of years in towns and villages around the arid deserts of Persia. Passing through the garden gate, one enters an oasis with cool shade under a variety of fruit trees, fragrant flowers, and carefully designed pools and waterways with gently flowing water.
As with garden design, this collection is a contemplative act on paper, incorporating basic geometric shapes and a limited colour palette.
unconditional
fariba kalantari, winter 2020, hand embroidery and acrylic on cotton rag paper, original size 6" x 8.5"
fariba kalantari, fall 2019, hand embroidery and acrylic on cotton rag paper, original size 6" x 6"
fariba kalantari, summer 2019, hand embroidery and acrylic on cotton rag paper, original size 6" x 6"
fariba kalantari, winter 2020, hand embroidery and acrylic on cotton rag paper, original size 6" x 8.5"
This body of work uses arrangements of ordinary objects to highlight overlooked forms of beauty and to reveal the grace of something ordinary. The avoidance of symmetry and the use of active empty space, flat colours, and hand embroidery invite contemplation.