Leila Mokhtari | The Faded Remains of the Divine's Roof

I’ve seen people feel ecstasy as they are in touch with religion.
We see the light weight of our existence when we are under the proximity of something bigger. We intend to be as empty as a bamboo to prepare our existence for the soul to enter, to calm down.

When I was exploring these concepts, I found interest in religious architecture and it became my main visual reference.
I used the image of towers, castles, observatories, domes and minarets to try to emerge their inner soul in my sketches and put my concepts into form. The best sample that I’ve seen was at “Jaame Mosque of Isfahan”. Under theNizam al-molk” dome I get overfilled with the feeling of security. There I think I’m connected to eternity. Being in these places reminds me of eastern beliefs about “Emptiness” and “Giving “.

I affixed the religious narration to my works. Stories and verses that refer to universal and timeless concerns. A narration not only for telling the literal story but also as a technique in advancing my works. I realize these concepts has been changing through ages and I am trying to find a new language to convey the idea they hold. A language that speaks to present-day people.