When Roshanak Aminelahi first heard the story of the Persian princess Gordafarid, who disguised herself as a male soldier to ride into battle to defend her homeland, she was a young girl, growing up in 1980s Tehran. “My father read me the epic poem The Shahnameh as a bedtime story,” she explains. “This story of Gordafarid captivated me and I was reminded of it last year when I heard the news of the Kurdish women who dressed as men to go into battle in Northern Syria. I was so moved, I had tears in my eyes.”
Roshanak’s painting Gordafarid – a 3m-high swirl of red and gold raised brush marks riding on a white horse – is the first thing you see when you enter her solo exhibition at Ayyam Gallery, Dubai. “I knew that when I wanted to paint my Gordafarid it had to be huge and in bold, beautiful colours because she’s a woman but she’s also strong and powerful. I like to be a woman and be feminine, and at the same time be fierce, so I relate to Gordafarid and look up to her. These qualities for me are very important.”
