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Sara Rahbar / Iran/United States b.1976 / Glorious Haze 2012 / Handwoven textiles, silver braid, keys, brass chain, military emblems, pins, buttons and bullet casings, and sweetheart pendant from an American World War 2 soldier on vintage American flag / 150 x 89cm / Purchased 2012. Queensland Art Gallery / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Sara Rahbar
Sara RahbarGlorious Haze 2012
Not Currently on Display
Sara Rahbar’s collaged flags feature iconic fabrics and materials from Iran and the United States, the two countries that she has called home. Taking the symbolically loaded flags of her adopted country, the United States, and her birthplace, Iran, as the foundation for her work, Rahbar then sews on emblems and materials relating to both countries. The strength of these works is in their multiple references: the bringing together of the individual with the collective, the intimate with the social.
This can be seen in Glorious Haze 2012, with its swathe of military pins from US and Iranian soldiers, traditional Iranian braiding, and the stars of the American flag. Rahbar’s multiple sources reference her personal connections to the two countries, as well as the continued diplomatic standoff between them and their long histories of conflict. Making these works is often cathartic for Rahbar, allowing her to explore experiences of migration and displacement.
Sara Rahbar’s richly collaged flags and photographic self-portraits feature iconic fabrics and materials drawn from two countries with which she has strong connections — Iran and the United States. This is often a cathartic exercise for Rahbar, allowing her to explore personal experiences of migration and displacement.
Obviously, childhood experiences of fleeing the Islamic revolution in Iran, feelings of displacement and the continued diplomatic tensions between Iran and her adopted home have had a profound effect on Rahbar, who as an adult has travelled extensively between the two countries, admitting to a love-hate relationship with both. When Rahbar sews Iranian fabrics onto and over the American flag she articulates connections necessary for developing her own biography, which is firmly situated in history. The strength of these works is in their multiple references: the bringing together of the personal with the collective, the intimate and the social.