As celebrated Persian painter Roshanak Aminelahi opens her new exhibition in Dubai, she talks to Kate Wills about finding inspiration in the UAE, reflecting the political in her paintings and being a single mother.
When Roshanak Aminelahi first heard the story of the fearless 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 at the time. She has this very strong personality and she just puts on a helmet and charges into battle. She’s not afraid of doing what needs to be done when it comes to herpride and her people. The story stayed with 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 with ISIS to protect their village in Northern Syria. I was so moved, I had tears in my eyes.”
Roshanak’s painting Gordafarid – a 3 metre-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 beautiful woman but she’s also strong and powerful. I like this combination. I like to be a woman and be feminine, but at the same time be fierce, so I relate to Gordafarid and look up to her. These qualities for me are very important.”
