Architecture of the sky no. 1 is an intricate arrangement of lotus leaf cuttings. With these ‘bricks’ of lotus leaves, Hossein Valamanesh replicates the ornamental architectural detail found in mosques, translating the geometric ceiling details onto the surface of the artwork. This kind of geometric abstraction is a distinguishing characteristic of Islamic art and architecture, with isometric patterns serving as symbols of cosmic harmony and the gift of creativity bestowed upon humanity by Allah.¹ In Islamic discourses dating back to the ninth century, geometry was viewed as a pathway to divine wisdom.² This artwork is an exploration of Valamanesh’s dual identities, using the formal elements of Iranian Islamic art and the natural materials of his Australian surroundings.³ The selection of lotus leaf also draws on spiritual connotations of the lotus flower in Buddhism and Hinduism.⁴ Architecture of the sky no. 1 represents a meeting of the natural and spiritual worlds, demonstrating Valamanesh’s talent for transforming the smallest of natural materials and everyday items into a heightened, spiritual experience.

Endnotes

1. Wendy MK Shaw, ‘Mimetic Geometries’, in What Is ‘Islamic’ Art?: Between Religion and Perception, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019, p.284.
2. Shaw, p.274; 285. 
3. Andrew Purvis, ‘Hossein Valamanesh: In his mother’s hands’, Art Monthly Australasia, no. 302, p.43. 
4. Fumiko Ishizuna and Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, ‘Flower Bud Formation of Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.): A Case Study of “Gyozankouren” Grown in a Container’, HortScience, vol. 49, no. 4, 2014, p.516.