Title: Inquiry about Forgotten Birds

Statement

Title: Inquiry about Forgotten Birds

Calligraphers and scribes keep historical records of their time. The "mastar" is a set of cotton strings stretched over a frame, which scribes use to rule the page. The scribe, Tina Rouhandeh, was inspired by Mastar to inscribe stories of people of Iran whose only sin is not hiding their beliefs and telling the truth. She uses words and thread, linking them and tying them together as effectively as possible, to create art pieces that crossbreed traditions, legends, and contemporary rituals. The "Inquiry about Forgotten Birds" is a project using hand stitches, calligraphy, and weaving to keep a record of what is currently happening in her homeland, Iran. In 2018, the collection started. This collection is about the violation of human rights in Iran. This is a collection about speaking up to silence. Each piece of this collection consists of more than 4000 stitches, which are created by twisting a thread around a sewing needle several times before inserting the needle into the cloth. Each stitch represents one person, and each twist around the needle indicates the prayers of their loved ones for them. Inspired by Mastar, one of the most important tools of the scribe in the ancient art of Iran, our calligrapher Tina Rohandeh has combined her needle with cotton thread to inscribe and record events as an artist of the present century. She believes calligraphy and textiles bear witness to history, culture, time, and society. Their power is much deeper than their decorative surface. The weaving process in this exhibition represents the passage of time and documentation. As the artist works row by row, it is like breathing in and out. When the artist beats the weft into place, it is the process of filling the day and keeping us in the moment.