Painting on Water - Naghshe Roye Ab
Performance art, Gallery 44, 2017
For this performance I would like to paint my memories on water. The materials will include a brush, saffron ink and fifty bowls of water. I am inspired by the art of calligraphy and will add a folkloric Persian interpretation beyond the universal concept of purification. For Muslims the washing of feet and hands, Wudu or abdas is the ritual before prayer. In Zoroastrian mythology, Anahita, is the Goddess of water, fertility and rebirth.
There is also the tradition of throwing water behind a person to wish them a safe journey; this whimsical blessing is a nostalgic gesture for the beloved to find their way back home. I am interested in exploring the relationship between water and memories. In many archetypal tales when one is away at sea they often write love letters home to remember the person that they will unite with once again.
