Nadalian’s paintings to honor Hormoz Island’s red soil
Tehran Times Art Desk

TEHRAN -- Ahmad Nadalian will show with his paintings his appreciation to Hormoz Island’s residents who have blocked the export of the island’s red soil.

Iranian land artist Nadalian will make a trip on November 25 in support of the people of Hormoz Island in southern Iran who finally managed to stop the export of the soil. Its red soil named “gelak” was exported to several countries by a foreign company for many years.

“The red soil of Hormoz reminds us of the bravery of its people who expelled the invaders. We must not sell our soil to strangers,” he remarked.

“The soil of this island has a special value. It is interesting to note that the locals make a food called “suragh” with this red soil. This reveals the fact that its contact with the hand does no harm to the skin, Nadalian told the Persian service of ISNA.

“Hormoz is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Its mountains resemble Sultan Muhammad’s paintings of the Safavid era, and as its local residents believe, Hormoz has been painted by God,” he added.

Nadalian will begin his new series of paintings with the use of the local red soil gelak. “I have made use of this red soil over the past two years to paint on the face, hands and feet of people during my trips to other countries. Now I’m beginning a new series of paintings using the soil I’ve collected from different parts of the world. The red soil of Hormoz has a special place among the other colors.

“We also used the soil to create the work of land art on the coast in memory of the martyrs of Iran Air Flight 655 (IR655) which was shot down by the U.S.S. Vincennes on the Bandar Abbas-Dubai route in 1988,” he explained.

Nadalian will also print the title “Persian Gulf” on the gulf’s sands with the help of his new seal engraved on a cylinder-shape stone in a response to the distortion of the name of the Persian Gulf in some international circles.

Photo: A woman wearing a traditional mask of Iran’s Persian Gulf coast has painted her hands and face with the red soil of Hormoz Island.

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