Ascension, 2023

paper, fishing wire

This installation stands as a delicate yet powerful tribute to the 522 souls who bravely faced the tumultuous winds of change and lost their lives during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. Each origami bird, meticulously folded and poised in flight, symbolizes the enduring hope and the collective ascent towards a future where such ideals reign supreme.

The choice of origami, an art form that transforms a simple sheet of paper into a complex and beautiful form, mirrors the transformation that the people of Iran seek— from a state of oppression to one of freedom and dignity. The 522 birds represent the courageous hearts that dared to dream of such a metamorphosis, each a story, each a life, each a testament to the indomitable human spirit.

Suspended in space, these birds create a silent symphony of resistance, each fold a verse in a poem of persistence. The installation transcends mere remembrance; it is a visual chorus of the collective will that resists being caged by tyranny.