Hanna Noor Mahomed South African, b. 1999
I am that candle which illuminates a ruins with the burning of her heart, 2025
Oil on canvas
101 x 90 cm
39 3/4 x 35 3/8 in
39 3/4 x 35 3/8 in
Copyright The Artist
Literature
Prominent, rebellious Iranian poet and filmmaker Forugh Farrokhzad wrote a poem titled Captive, in which the last stanza she writes, I am that candle which illuminates a ruins with the burning of her heart. If I want to choose silent darkness, I will bring a nest to ruin. A powerful and beautiful expression of her life lived under captivity in both her country and home, yet she remained steadfast in her fight for freedom and expression. This painting is anchored with the symbol of the butterfly, once again, a prompt for freedom and change within us and the world around us.