Identity’s Rug

Firstly, visualization, to me, is more than just capturing a moment. It's a storytelling tool, a way to unfold an adventure. This adventure could be the tale of a positive experience or a visual protest against taboos. While one might expect this visualization to take the form of a comic, I believe a straightforward yet impactful image can deliver the same narrative punch. For an Identity Project during my time in iMAE, for exploring identity, my chosen visualization encapsulated the recent chapters of my life. Presented in the form of a carpet design, it symbolized my roots in the country I come from. The story behind this carpet is inspired by an old and lovely song, "Shabzadeh" by Ebi (1979), an Iranian singer. The lyric of the song refers to the migration of people from their country and the great pain they endure, and perhaps I deeply empathized with it. The rug was like a piece of home for me, a connection to where I come from. In its corners, I drew characters doing different things, each reflecting a part of myself. They showed someone adapting to a new place - one making patterns, another just chilling, two chatting, another looking determined, and one is also broken. Each of them was a reminder of myself. In the patterns, I added bits of lyrics from a song expressing my feelings. For example, the mention of "the broken human" directly from the song's lyrics suggests a sense of resignation or surrender in people towards the issue of migration. The patterns looked like they were flowing down, telling the story of my move. The story underneath is a bit tough, but the look is different. The work area is full of colour, like most rugs that feel like home. The writing talks about the tough parts of moving, yet people keep living. Even though moving was tough for me, part of who I am now, I wanted to show it in a way that doesn't make others sad. I hoped they'd be curious, find some fun in it, and join the story. All of these are part of my research, expressing a somber theme within a contrasting framework.