Pouran Jinchi: Fly Like Dandelions

Pouran Jinchi was inspired to embark on this new body of work after reading an article about a Guatemalan farmer forced to flee due to the impact of climate change on agriculture; her inspiration for this series stems from landscapes affected by climate change, such as ghost forests and arid lands.

In her paintings she merges traditional calligraphy techniques with abstraction, using written characters to delve into the complexities of perception, reality, and meaning. The core motif is a repeated Persian character for ‘trees’, used to depictions of trees and tree trunks in a way that allows legibility to gradually morph into an artistic form. The inclusion of dots, a fundamental starting point in Islamic calligraphy, contributes to the portrayal of an arid landscape, symbolising the lingering memories of a life that once was. The dandelion seed pod, transformed into a calligraphic symbol, drifts across these landscapes in Jinchi’s paintings – a powerful representation of the resilient migrants who, much like dandelion seeds, find themselves displaced yet determined to navigate a new path.

To 16 February.

Above: Pouran Jinchi, Fly Like Dandelions 9 (2023)