I’ve been experimenting with material and visual approaches since early July, starting first in a shared studio with long-time friend and colleague Haleh Niazmand in Oakland, and continuing in Los Angeles, California where I’m occupying my brother’s dining room, balcony…
I attended the Hemispheric Institute‘s 2014 Encuentro at Concordia University in Montreal (June 21-28). I had applied to present a Passages performance there, but my proposal was not accepted. Among the program‘s performances and presentations there were only 3 presenters…
In addition to getting overshadowed by Robert Sherley’s figure and posturings, Sampsonia/Teresia‘s narrative gets mixed with the story of Naqd Ali Beg, a Persian who showed up in England as ambassador from Shah Abbas. His presence totally messed up Robert’s…
I’tisam al-Din’s Shigarfnamah includes a long passage about the Portuguese and the manner in which they arrived in the East and eventually colonized Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). Here’s a passage from Pieris, P. E. (Paulus Edward). Ceylon and the Portuguese,…
It is argued that the earthquake that hit Lisbon on November 1, 1755 drastically frustrated Portugal’s colonial fortunes. I’tisam al-Din refers to this earthquake as divine justice for all the menace the Portuguese brought to India and Bengal. [Note the…
Currently in development, Passages is a multi-platform body of work that draws from real and imagined travelogues written during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by Persianate travelers. Contact between the Persianate world (ethno-culturally diverse societies in south, west and…