I took photographs in Iran that represent religious rituals on the day of “Ashura,” an important Islamic occasion celebrated once a year during the month of Muharram. The ritual involves individuals making cuts on their heads with knives until they reach a state of Ecstasy due to the loss of blood, as a sign of penance and sacrifice to God and in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Husaiyn, who serves as an intermediary between man and God. I drew inspiration from the blood-stained attire of the people photographed in Iran for the design that I poured onto the canvas, and I also embroidered it on the shirt.
In the Shiite world
In addition to the initial significance where fasting was an important component of the religious holiday, Shiites added the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn ibn Ali and his 72 followers at the hands of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I. The massacre occurred on the 10th day of the month of Muharram, and the mourning for this event among Shiites lasts for 40 days, known as Arbaˁīn in Arabic.
The main center of Shiite commemorations is the city of Karbala in Iraq, where the primary pilgrimage takes place. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to the city of Karbala every year, where the tombs of the Imam and his followers are located, to observe mourning and weep for the Imam. They hold a celebration on the day of “Ashura” that begins at six in the morning
