ISLAMIC MOTIFS
MOTIFS ARE RECURRING ELEMENTS IN WORKS OF ART. ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE HAS ITS OWN SET OF ELEMENTS OR MOTIFS WHICH MAKES IT EASY FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THE ORIGINS OF THE ART OR CONSTRUCTION. GEOMETRIC MOTIFS, VEGETAL PATTERNS, CALLIGRAPHY, DOMES AND LIGHT ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS COMMONLY PRESENT IN ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE AND ART.
ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAMIC ART WHICH WAS THE SOURCE OF MY INSPIRATION FOR THE 2018 COLLECTION IS GEOMETRIC MOTIFS; SIMPLE FORMS OF GEOMETRIC PATTERNS ARE COMBINED OR INTERLACED TO FORM UNIQUE DESIGNS. THE SYMMETRY OF THESE GEOMETRIC DESIGNS OFFER THE ARTIST A LOT OF FREEDOM AND VERSATILITY, AND PROVIDE ROOM FOR OTHER KINDS OF ORNAMENTATION. THEY OFTEN SYMBOLIZE INFINITE GROWTH. BASIC SHAPES: CIRCLES, INTERLACED CIRCLES, SQUARES, FOUR SIDED POLYGONS, AND THEIR COMBINATIONS FORM THE UBIQUITOUS STAR PATTERN.
LIGHT IS THE OTHER KEY FACTOR IN ISLAMIC ART WHICH ADDS A DYNAMIC QUALITY TO THE ARCHITECTURE, EXTENDING FORMS AND PATTERNS AND ALSO ENHANCING THE TEXTURE AND CONTRASTS OF PLANES. MIRROR ART, ONE OF THE MOST DELICATE ARCHITECTURAL DECORATION TECHNIQUES ESPECIALLY IN ISLAMIC-IRANIAN CIVILIZATION TOOK ADVANTAGE OF LIGHT BY CREATING BRIGHT AND HIGHLY SHINING ATMOSPHERES UPON THE CONSECUTIVE REFLECTIONS OF LIGHT.
THE DANDELION, A SYMBOL OF THE WARMTH AND POWER OF THE RISING SUN, OPENS WITH THE SUN’S FIRST LIGHT AT DAWN AND CLOSES AGAIN AS IT SETS AT DUSK. THE DESIGNER TAKES INSPIRATION FROM THE FLOWER’S AESTHETIC BEAUTY AS WELL AS THE LIGHT AND WARMTH THAT IT REPRESENTS. THE DEW, TRADITIONALLY SYMBOLIZING THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE, AND A CHIEF SOURCE IN ALCHEMY, IS DELICATELY NESTED INSIDE THE GOLDEN PRONGS OF THE DANDELION BY THE DESIGNER AS AN ALLUSION TO THE COMMON AIM OF ALCHEMY TO TRANSFORM BASE METALS INTO GOLD.
THE SPRING 2017 COLLECTIONS IS INSPIRED BY THE COMBINED ENCHANTMENT OF THE TOUCH OF THE SMALL CRYSTAL PAVE AND PEARLS ON THE GOLDEN PRONGS, LEAVING IT TO THE AUDIENCE’S IMAGINATION TO CREATE THE STORY OF THE MAGICAL DEW THAT CAPTURED THE LIGHT AND POWER OF THE DANDELION AND TURNED IT INTO GOLD.
THE LOTUS FLOWER WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SYMBOLS IN IRAN DURING THE ACHAEMENID ERA. IT WAS WIDELY USED IN THE ART OF THAT ERA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE CAN BE SEEN WHEN VISITING PERSEPOLIS, THE CAPITAL OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE. LOTUS HAS BEEN THE SYMBOL OF SPIRITUAL BLOSSOM AND PURITY, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH ITS ROOTS GROW IN MUD, THE FLOWER ITSELF GROWS UPWARDS TOWARDS THE SKY, IT LEAVES THE DARK WATERS AND ITS FLOWERS RISE UNDER THE SUN AND SKYLIGHT.
THE SPRING 2016 COLLECTION IS INSPIRED BY THE LOTUS FLOWER AND THE COLORS USED IN ACHAEMENID ART AND ARCHITECTURE.