Concepts for 2016
Delved back into pen and ink drawing, it always seems to be at the shared heart of my creative outpouring. A balance between linear graphic techniques and the fluidity of large acrylic paintings.
Three pomegranates fell down from heaven —
one for the story teller,
one for the listener,
and one for the whole world.
— The endnote for many Armenian tales
The pomegranate has been one of my recurring themes for almost as long as I can remember. Its symbolism of rebirth, sleep and journeys through the underworld runs through many cultures. So I was thrilled, though not surprised, to find how deeply the pomegranate sits within Armenian culture.
For Armenians, it also reflects the way their diaspora has spread throughout the world, like the multitude of seeds held within each fruit. It is an image of cultural survival after repeated attempts to erase them.
An inspirational pomegranate, նուռ, pronounced noor in Armenian, sitting on my palette while I was drawing it. I paint them, plant them, eat them, and sometimes just watch them change over time, slowly darkening in colour, drying and shrinking, then staying stable for decades on my shelf, occasionally earning their keep by modelling for me.
Incidentally, نور, nur, is Farsi for light. Quite a lovely connection in Armenia's neighbouring Persia. See an older work relating to pomegranates here...
