Am I Dutch? Yes, it says so in my Dutch passport.
Am I Iranian? Yes, according to Iranian law, I am.
According to my Iranian birth certificate, I was born in 1338.
The first years of my life in Iran. I can’t ignore them. That’s a fact. My carefree childhood. Coincidentally in Iran. My longing for those happy years, connected to Iran will always remain. Iran will always have a place in my heart.
I started the Inspiran project using the motifs of Persian rugs. As this ornamental style is not really mine, I took some parts out. I continued painting in search of the essence of what I wished to express. Thus the motifs finally resulted in a free interpretation of the ‘boteh’ motif often used in Persian rugs. Layer upon layer of oil paint as in a memory.
Boteh stands for a young shoot or a tear.
A promise, a longing.
A longing to return to my place of birth, the place where I spent my childhood years.
By participating in this project, certain parts of the puzzle seem to fall into place for me.
Juliette Kalse, www.juka-art.nl
