The Wonders of the Kerman province, Iran.

Located in southeastern Iran, Kerman is one of Iran’s oldest cities and one of the world’s largest producers of – pistachios. Delicious cashews aside, Kerman is also a major center for carpet producing and exporting. Kerman is the capital city of the Kerman province, which has a lot to offer to those who wish to wander and discover beauty – there is The Arg-e Bam, the largest adobe building in the world, located in the city of Bam. The origin of this enormous citadel on the Silk Road can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC) and even beyond. In 2003, the Citadel was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake, along with much of the rest of Bam and its environs. A few days after the earthquake, it was announced that the Citadel would be rebuilt.

Kerman province is also considered a paradise for palaeontologists because of an abundance of vertebrate fossils from different geological eras. Most of the province is largely steppe or sandy desert, although there are some oases where dates, oranges (said to be the best in Iran), and pistachios are cultivated.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

 

Faig Ahmed: Reorienting the Carpet Icons.

Faig Ahmed is an artist you want to hear about.

Faig Ahmed

He graduated from the Sculpture faculty at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Art in Baku. Last ten years he has been working with various media, including painting, video and installation. Currently, he is studying the artistic qualities of Azerbaijani traditional rugs – he disassembles their conventional structure and randomly rearranges the resulting components of the traditional composition then combines these fragments with contemporary sculptural forms. 

On his work, he writes:

“Our opinions and decisions are resulting from the influences of our childhood. If we could know all the details of someone’s life we could easily predicted his reactions and choices. 
Tradition is the main factor creating the society as a self regulated system. Changes in the non-written rule happen under influence of global modern culture.

The carpet is a symbol of invincible tradition of the East, it’s a visualization of an undestroyable icon.
In my art I see the culture differently. This is more of expectation of a reaction because it’s exactly the change of the points of view that changes the world.

Slight changes in the form of a carpet dramatically change it’s structure and maybe make it more suitable for the modern life.
The Eastern culture is very reach visually. I cover it all in minimalistic forms, destroying the stereotypes of the tradition and creating new modern boundaries. A man can widen the borders and change them but no one has ever dare to break our spirit. “

All of these carpets are woolen and handmade. For more of Faig’s work, go to his official website. Enjoy.

all images © Faig Ahmed