Anahita Kamali’s “The Hunt/Shekar” - 2025 Finalist

Anahita Kamali’s “The Hunt/Shekar” 
Sculpture & Mixed Media: Beads, string, and faux leather on a felt sheet 
Newtonville, MA 

The Hunt/Shekar references the style of Persian miniatures and depicts the endangered Asiatic Cheetah–which once ranged broadly but survives only in Iran today–hunting Cape Hares in the night. The cheetah is leaping over a dried-up river, representing the loss of many of Iran's lakes. Rising through the valley in the mountains is a smoke cloud, a looming message that the countryside this cheetah is romping through will soon be destroyed. This piece is a commentary on the Iranian regime's lack of action towards protecting Iran's ecosystems. Without policies and action towards saving the natural world of Iran, many different species and formations have reached critical points of danger. I hope art pieces like this can serve as an alarm to viewers that we need to begin demanding more from our governments in regards to protecting the land we share with wildlife. Bordering the central image is a beaded pattern inspired by the khatam art style of wood inlaying that is found in Iran. This piece was created using beads, string, and scraps of faux leather. Many of the beads were upcycled from necklaces found at thrift stores.