In his most recent work Tirafkan combines traditional carpet weaving with modern digital photography. He studies what it means to be Iranian today and how modern identity can be represented by the merging of past and present. His works focus on themes of Iranian traditions and religious rituals. Sadegh Tirafkan uses his cultural knowledge to explore his Persian identity.
“From 2006 I have been focussing on population and its unbalanced distribution around the world within my works. I don’t only look at the topic from a political aspect but also and most importantly from an artist’s eye – an eye which originates from a thousand year old culture, rich with history and civilization. I have been trying to combine current events with layered and hidden historical art, using new technology in order to ease communication between people living in today’s world and my work.
“In my project, I have focussed and emphasized the population issue as it is faced in today’s Iran. I am also considering humankind’s behaviour in different situations. My goal is to demonstrate that all people regardless of gender, culture and religion are indeed looking for inner peace and sanctity. The carpet is emblematic of Persian culture. It is a symbol of culture, seasonality, richness, diversity and continuity – in time and in history. As such I have been obsessed by the parallelism and marriage between this symbolic, intricately loomed object and the people to which it belongs.”
(Sadegh Tirafkan)