Miniature with rose petals 2003

These exquisite miniatures by Iranian–Australian artist Hossein Valamanesh, made in collaboration with his partner, Angela, are composed of the dried petals of the flowers in arrangements that recall Persian and Indian decorative patterns. Inspired by a residency Valamanesh undertook at the Lahore’s National College of Arts in 1999, where he visited students in the college's miniature painting course, the works are both natural, in their materials, and highly constructed, in their belonging to an old and elaborate artistic tradition. They comprise flowers — selected by the artist on his daily walks — that commonly grow in Australia but which, except for the maiden hair fern, are not native to this country. The plants’ mixed origins recall Valamanesh’s personal history of migration, while the reference to traditional Persian imagery reflects his cultural background.