liminal Belonging

Liminal Belonging is an expanded painting with oil on linen and juxtaposed with Australian red sand, is inspired by my lived experience of migration, where the body is present in one place while the heart and memory remain tethered elsewhere. The work explores the tension between physical displacement and emotional attachment, drawing on fragmented memories of my homeland, Iran. I incorporate forms inspired by Iranian tile-work and historical architecture, juxtaposed with Australian red sand, to create a dialogue between the two realms that define their diasporic existence.

Through painting, I challenge the idea of fixed belonging by evoking a liminal state -neither fully here nor there, but suspended between geographies, cultures, and emotional landscapes. The work attempts to make visible the intangible attachments and longing that survive across distance, revealing how memory can bridge physical absence.

The theme of belonging is central, with one side holding bodily presence in Australia, while the other sustains emotional presence through nostalgia and fragmented recollections.

 Images: Liminal Belonging Medium: expanded painting with oil on linen and Australian red sand, Size: 3,730 cm x 1,630 cm + 50 cm, Year: 2024