Imaginary Homeland
2021 (ongoing), multimedia installation (video, painting, installation)
This project is based on a fictional story which is centred on the ideal landscape of home, a homeland perceived primarily from a distance through memory. This imaginary landscape has been portrayed through a fictional imagery, shaped over time after experiences of displacement.
The project is focused on an individual who works both as an artist/painter and as a London bus driver. Her paintings primarily feature flowers called Fritillaria Imperialis or Crown Imperial, which represent her daydreams of a romanticised homeland. The Fritillaria Imperialis originated in the Iranian mountains called Alborz. Considered as one of the most distinctive flowers for its unique characteristics, it has acquired symbolic significance in the myths and legends in Persian and Turkish cultures. In particular its uncommon shape with the petals hanging downward and its leaves that give the shape of the plant wearing a crown.
“Impossible Bouquets" is the name of the 17th century Dutch paintings by Dutch masters. These paintings depict different flowers, which were considered as “exotic’"flowers, placed in a vase, even thoughthey could never coexist because of different geographical and seasonal origins. The flower paintings reflected the fashionable interests of botanists, who traded seeds and bulbs hoping to cultivate new floral varieties. The main idea behind these paintings was to present a view of floral scenes to be enjoyed all seasons and all year long. In other words, these Bouquets paintings did not aim to reflect reality, but rather served as representations of "fantasy".
150 x 100cm, acrylic, 2021-2022