I Am a Historical Grief

2020-2021

I Am a Historical Grief reflects my personal experience and perspective on unrest, historical events, and the critique I hold toward both history and the contemporary world. It is a reflection on a wounded past and a present that continues to live under the shadow of violence and injustice.

In this series, I have studied historical events—particularly across Kurdistan—which have prompted me to explore how narratives shaped by history intertwine with contemporary issues, and how the past and present continuously reproduce and reflect one another.

Historical objects, such as bowls inscribed with religious texts, alongside women’s scarves and fabrics, as well as items conceptually linked to the themes of history, form the core of these works. Black and red play central roles: black symbolizes mourning and collective grief, while red evokes violence, war, and the blood inscribed into both land and memory.

These works emerge from my lived experiences and personal encounters with war and persistent injustice in my homeland. Through the language of art, I aim to present this wounded memory and contemporary reality in ways that provoke reflection, remembrance, and dialogue.