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tropeztropez.de

Samira Hodaei
An empty tablecloth, 2022

Tar and misbaha beads on rice sacks
130 x 180 cm

On a tree on the green area of the summer pool is an installation by Samira Hodaei. The tablecloth (sofreh or sufra) is considered a sacred object in Iran; woven in bright warm colors with pure love, and covered with the symbols of blessings and hope. Tablecloths were laid on the floor to pray for rain, rain for the arid land. Since the discovery of oil from the depths of the earth, a common topic of discussion is oil, rich reservoir of blessing or curse? An empty tablecloth was sewn together from empty rice bags and painted on with tar, designed with Misbaha beads and kalamkari wood prints. The layers symbolize how oil has laboriously become integrated into daily lives and people’s dinner tables.

 

About the artist

Samira Hodaei lives and works between Berlin and Tehran. Hodaei's artistic practice is based on the history of oil and its impact on people's lives in Iran. Her paintings and installations have been part of solo and group exhibitions, as well as in public spaces, in Europe, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Asia and Australia.