IG: @jiwanasol.art jiwanasoleimani.com

Celebrating the Seasons of Kurdistan

My intention with this work was to create something for my niece that is educational and keeps our culture alive. Much of the time, I feel as though we do not get to celebrate our culture as much as we mourn for it, and I think that keeping our spirits high is an essential part of keeping it alive, especially under the stress of genocide and erasure. To create a celebratory work is both to honor our heritage and participate in an inherently political act against colonial forces. It is inspired by my identity, my family, and the objective of protest. 

Bio

I’m a Kurdish illustrator, who works mostly in traditional mediums like watercolor, gouache, and ink. I’m extremely passionate about the topic of decolonization, specifically in the way we introduce the world to children. Much of my work revolves around identity and removing the colonial lens through which I view myself and my surrounding landscape. Much of my work revolves around climate and color, and the natural world interacting with the industrialized world, especially in the way we view climate change within communities - not just preserved landscapes and also the relationship between climate change, colonialism, and the creation of diaspora.