Yasamin Khadembashi

'Liquid Gold' is a large scale embodiment of a hypnotic whirling Dervish, spun to create a kaleidoscopic Saffron flower, constructed through the repetition of a male Persian miniature. Often called ‘Liquid gold’, the spice is highly sorted after and is symbolic of wealth and importance to Persian culture, food, customs and beliefs. The grand Queen of the 50's, 60's and 70's Persian entertainment, Fereydoun Farrokhzad, was a queer hero amongst the progressive liberal Iranian community, for criticising the new regime, questioning forced religious beliefs, celebrating freedom of expression and the vibrancy of his culture and poetry. During/post Iranian revolution, religion and fear were used as weapons to force conformity and strip people of their lives, families loss their faith in god and religion due to the violence, abuse and traumatisation the regime welded over people. Within Islam, the mystical sector of Sufism is often overlooked, misunderstood and exoticized, leaving the audience unaware of the true and deep traditional cultural values and beliefs within Iran. This work celebrates a hero and signifies alternative ways of embracing faith and sexuality, making comment on the need to educate oneself on the truth of personal growth and spirituality.