Artist: Ahmad Nadalian
Location: West, Central and South Asia
Year of Completion: 2015
Researcher: Parisa Tehranizadeh
Dr. Ahmad Nadalian has conducted many art projects in cooporation with the local community on the island of Hormoz, Iran. However, the question still remains, of whether or not these activities are capable of promoting and improving the economical and cultural development of the local people.
Dr. Ahmad Nadalian started his social art activities in southern remote villages of Iran in 2015. His first and primary target was to educate the women of SALKH village on Gheshm Island. Help and support from Ms. Zeinab Daryayee, who is well known for being an active supporter of women’s rights on the island, enhanced this hugely important and valuable cultural, artistic, and social movement.
In this project, colorful pieces of clothes were attached to the surface of a sheet of glass. Due to the thin and transparent texture of these clothing items, the "blanket" of pieces comes together to create a colorful, shining view when exposed to sunlight—almost like stained glass. The use of various colors in the structure and texture of women clothes in southern Iran is an obvious reality. The artist was attracted to the way in which southern Iranian women select, match, and design the colorful patterned garments for their traditional clothing.
This project was inspired from an old, traditional, religious superstition which stated that in the past, people attached seven pieces of colorful clothing together to make a blanket called a CHELTIKEH, which was then used as a remedy for sick girls. It was believed that this blanket like piece of cloth could bring health to the sick girl. It was also believed that the used and old pants and skirts of women which needed to be thrown out shouldn’t be visible and in access for any one else in order to ensure women and girls' modesty and prudency. Therefore, parents and husbands would usually throw the old clothes out to the sea or even burn them in a fire.
This art project seeks to:
1. Help the environment by collecting the pieces of clothes from all around the island
2. Support unemployed women from all around the island by having them participate in this activity and earn some money from selling the CHELTIKEH
Dr. Ahmad Nadalian has stated that, “I always regretted that why these amazing pieces of art works with such amazing design and combination of colors should be burned or drawn in the sea”
Thus, he decided to take these clothes from the sea, and even the half burned ones, and put them together to make beautiful and eye-catching masterpieces.
All copyright belongs to Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University.
