This is Anahita Ansaripour, born in Esfehan, Iran in 1973. My formal art education began in high school, where I majored in Minatory Art. I went on to study my
B.A. in Fine Arts at the Tehran University, receiving my degree in 1995.
Hafiz, whose emergence in the history of this land has been inevitable, is the manifestation of the most sublime aspects of the character of an Iranian individual. He is symbol of elegance, shrewdness, wisdom, illusion, and all aspects of an ancient culture. Iranian visual arts have always had an interconnection with poetry and possess a perfect inherent illustrative quality. Deletion of weight and shadow on old Persian painting opens a window to imagery and dream, and absence of time provides an opportunity to juxtapose parallel events. My paintings have an undeniable association with Iranian visual tradition. An understanding of the past makes it easier for me to appreciate the present. Hafiz poetry has never been confined to past and belongs to an extraterrestrial world. The fact that he knows no time and geographical boundaries and continues to be present in contemporary world suggests the immensity of his thinking. Hafiz, in this collection, has been portrayed along with angels traveling between the two words – illustrated sublime world. Colors, compositions, and decorations are based upon my intuitive understanding of the sonnets. The music embedded in poetry has created movement, stillness, and silence of the spaces. My interest and enthusiasm for Hafiz’s sublime poetry has, without doubt, been an inspiration ever since I was young – leading to a collection which was shaped during four years of inner journey along with the post. It is impossible to illustrate all aspects of voyage in the sonnets which are created by words. Hence, these paintings are rather Hafiz of my imagination than anything else.