The Seven Valleys is an installation comprised of screen-print (serigraphy) & mixed media on plexi-glass panel, video, sound, and shadow. These elements are combined to illustrate the experience of psychological flow, involvement in the present moment and attaining to spiritual enlightenment by following a path of seven (7) steps to perfection (The Seven Valleys).
Starting from my roots in Persian traditions, I am branching out, seeking my place in the universe, and looking for enlightenment among other belief systems. I draw inspiration from Persian poets and scholars like Rumi that form the basis of my research - and the Sufi mystic Attar in particular. Attar wrote about the seven steps and valleys one must pass to attain enlightenment in his tale The Conference of the Birds. Attar’s poems communicate a holistic essential perception of the world that I find illuminating to my belief systems and faith.
This spiritual exploration plays out in my work. As I represent moments of ecstasy, unity, and transcendence through modern printmaking techniques, I focus on strategies for developing my concept by intersecting printmaking mediums, literature, and mythology. By using unconventional techniques on alternative surfaces, I am creating atmospheric space and a sense of mystery. The Seven Valleys installation presents a multilevel exploration, an investigation of the phenomenology of flow, intentionality, spirituality, consciousness and specifically how humans can experience ecstatic flow in connection with the natural world.