The Flight of Simurgh:
What you seek,
Is seeking you!
-Rumi
Background how I started to work on my very first miniature painting, mostly
inspired by Persian/Chinese visual language. I was planning to work on my
short animation film so decided to go for an appropriate art style to support the
idea. I always wanted to do miniature painting in my college days but couldn’t
do so. So in the hunt I decided to learn miniature painting for two years to
complete my first painting. By doing this I was able to know the workman ship
of the miniature painting and the process.
The progress was life changing for me and the intense physical part. We all
know art is a therapy but for me that changed me inside out. Now thankfully I
am more patient. This journey is absolutely an eye opener for me to explore
myself more and the spiritual world. I come to know the Knowledge of Persian
poetry and islamic world is immense.
My painting “The Flight of Simurgh” is inspired by a Famous Persian Poet Farid
ud din Attar’s poetry “Mantiq ul tayyir” Conference of the Birds. The journey of
birds to see a glimpse Simurgh. There is symbolism going on in the painting,
two realms of painting, One is physical world which is inside the border and
second is the Devine Realm outside the border. Background of the painting is
done in tea wash which represents God as everything. So background was
important to make it flawless and give it a Gold colour. The grid system was
developed first to place the Simurgh as a focal point of the painting. Lot of
“Mashqs”(Exercises) were done with a resident teachers to master that. The
inner realm is rectangle shape Root3 and further break ed down to create small
grids. Another Evident Symbol in the background are clouds. Clouds represent
perfection and perseverance. The size was chosen very wisely as they don’t
become very prominent in the background. The mint colour gives it a soothing
effect to create more flowy and wavy mood. The Cyprus and Blossom Tree
represents man and Women(humanity). The Spiral shape mountain is placed as
it’s holding its shape in accordance to the simurgh. The Mountain represents
……….. The colourful Simurgh emerges as a blessing of God. The epic point of
this painting is Simurgh itself as its passing through the material world. The
whole painting was done in Pardakh (Dry Brushing) technique.
