I came across this simple but stunning piece of artwork along my online travels, Amir Rad’s ‘Bird’. Amir Rad is an Iranian artist who was invited in 2007 to present a work that explored race, tradition and identity within Iran, at the Ellipse Art Centre. The multitude of works within the show expressed a dichotomy between traditional and contemporary art-forms, thus further distorting our already preconceived misconceptions of the elusive east.

What struck me about the Amir Rad work is the hybridisation of the Iranian woman holding an origami Crane, which to me represents the openness and expressive nature of the Iranian culture, embracing the world and showing a connectedness that is almost blasé. This painting to me is so meaningful and powerful and has a depth of interpretation that is endless.