Lyrical traces of exile

In this bilingual volume of poetry, Iranian artist Ali Akbar Safaian addresses the subject of exile in a language that is as delicate as it is visually powerful. The painter, sculptor and poet, who lives in Germany, deals with the various dimensions of life in exile in his poetry. Safaian reflects on the experience of being uprooted, the thirst for memory and the dual reality of the exile, who is always here and there – and nowhere quite at home. Nostalgia characterizes the original, sometimes surreal imagery of these poems – as well as the will to resist and the urge for freedom – which testify to a deep sympathy for the prevailing repression and the people's desire for freedom in his country of origin, Iran. Influences from Persian poetry and mythology characterize his poetry, as does the painter and sculptor's visual perspective, which is also reflected in the photographs in the book of poems. Safaian's pictures show objects from his private archive that date back to his life in Iran - objects that are not only bearers of the past before his flight, but also come to life under the burning glass of exile as witnesses to a life that was lived and abruptly interrupted.

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Author: Ali Akbar Safaian