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Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Holiness of Image Hidden Treasure in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Environmental Works by Ahmad Nadalian in UK
Prehistoric Fish Found in Central Park Thursday, May 24, 2007 Abigail Doan A week or so ago my Iranian artist friend, Dr. Ahmad Nadalian, visited New York City and several other US cities on an official invite for a sponsored exhibition that he was having in Washington, D.C. I met him on a bright, sunny morning in the northern woods of Central Park where he was carving several of his 'prehistoric' river art fishes. Dr. Nadalian has a long tradition of submerging his carved rocks in rivers and bodies of water where they might forever add to the spirit and environmental protection of the place. The artist also views the fish symbol as being emblematic of the human soul.
http://abigaildoan.blogspot.com
Persian Gulf Environmental Art Festival Second section
Environmental Art Festival on the Persian Gulf
Reaction to ignoring historic site
New Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf
New Carved Rocks in Hormoz Island (Persian Gulf) March 2007
New works by Nadalian in “Verdearte” 2006: Italy
Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf Works By Ahmad Nadalian
Click Here to Download larger size Images
Utne Magazine May-June 2006 USA
Ahmad Nadalian
Nadalian: River Art An interview by John K. GRANDE Nadalian is an Iranian sculptor whose life's work involves engendering respect for living creatures and the natural environment. To achieve this, besides living with nature himself, he established sculpture grounds in a peaceful environment in natural surroundings. Water is a living element that contributes to his sculptures, and many of the symbols he engraves and sculpts are derived from ancient mythology and the rituals of pre-Islamic civilizations. more
By carving simple fish shapes and other forms onto small stones and river rocks, artist Ahmad Nadalian seeks to repopulate the spirit of neglected streams and rivers in his native Iran and around the world and share these treasures with future generations. more
Persian Gulf Environmental Art Festival Second section
Environmental Art Festival on the Persian Gulf
Reaction to ignoring historic site
New Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf
New Carved Rocks in Hormoz Island (Persian Gulf) March 2007
New works by Nadalian in “Verdearte” 2006: Italy
Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Holiness of Image Hidden Treasure in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Environmental Works by Ahmad Nadalian in UK
Prehistoric Fish Found in Central Park Thursday, May 24, 2007 Abigail Doan A week or so ago my Iranian artist friend, Dr. Ahmad Nadalian, visited New York City and several other US cities on an official invite for a sponsored exhibition that he was having in Washington, D.C. I met him on a bright, sunny morning in the northern woods of Central Park where he was carving several of his 'prehistoric' river art fishes. Dr. Nadalian has a long tradition of submerging his carved rocks in rivers and bodies of water where they might forever add to the spirit and environmental protection of the place. The artist also views the fish symbol as being emblematic of the human soul.
http://abigaildoan.blogspot.com
Persian Gulf Environmental Art Festival Second section
Environmental Art Festival on the Persian Gulf
Reaction to ignoring historic site
New Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf
New Carved Rocks in Hormoz Island (Persian Gulf) March 2007
New works by Nadalian in “Verdearte” 2006: Italy
Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf Works By Ahmad Nadalian
Click Here to Download larger size Images
Utne Magazine May-June 2006 USA
Ahmad Nadalian
Nadalian: River Art An interview by John K. GRANDE Nadalian is an Iranian sculptor whose life's work involves engendering respect for living creatures and the natural environment. To achieve this, besides living with nature himself, he established sculpture grounds in a peaceful environment in natural surroundings. Water is a living element that contributes to his sculptures, and many of the symbols he engraves and sculpts are derived from ancient mythology and the rituals of pre-Islamic civilizations. more
Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Environmental Works by Ahmad Nadalian in UK
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In September of 2007 I traveled to China and was able to perform a collection of environmental art projects in several regions of this vast country.
My first destination was Urumqi in northwestern China. I explored the city and left some carvings on rocks and then traveled to Guangzhou in southern China. Afterwards I journeyed to Guilin where I had meetings with local artists, experienced local Chinese culture and foods, and performed some of my projects.
Elephant Trunk Hill - Guilin
I used a boat on the Lijiang River to travel from Guilin to Yangshuo where I realized many environmental projects. The unique natural scenery of the region has always been a magnet for far eastern poets and artists. During my journey I dropped many of my stones carved with the image of fish into the river. It was very exciting to capture the moment when my ‘stone fish’ meets the water.
My ‘stone fish’ meets the water
Between Guilin to
Yangshuo, Lijiang travels 83 kilometers. Along the river banks are the
spectacular landscapes and elegant hills, the towering peaks, the
variegated cliffs and odd-shaped crags reflected in the mirror of its
crystal-clear water and wonderful pools, running springs and flying
waterfalls everywhere. A lot of excellent poems and literary works in
ancient and modern appreciate her beauty. Han Yu, a great poet in Tang
Dynasty, had written a popular poem to praise the beautiful scenery of
Lijiang River.
The river winds like a
blue silk ribbon,
Lijiang River
Lijiang River
Yangshuo
Dragon Bridge
The Dragon symbol or form can be seen everywhere in China - in old murals and carvings to new decorations and advertisements. This mythological and imaginary creature was also a source of inspiration for some of my carvings in Yangshuo. I left one of my carvings with an image of the dragon in the Dragon River near Dragon Bridge. I also hid one of my dragons on the top of Moon Hill, and I carved a dragon on a rock on Dragon Mountain near Yangshuo.
Dragon Mountain
Moon Hill
I spent about 24 hours in a bus
I spent an entire day trying to find the temple
My final destination was Jinjiang City in east China. The initial aim was to visit Cao'an Temple, a Manichean shrine founded by the Persian sage Mani (circa 216-276). It was a long journey to get there, and I spent about 24 hours in a bus. It is very difficult to find people who speak foreign languages in this region, so it was very difficult to communicate. I spent an entire day trying to find the temple on Huabiao Hill near Jinjiang City (Quanzhou). The temple and garden around this site look like paradise. I dedicated one of my carvings to this temple. The carving depicts the portrait of the Persian sage Mani, the founder of this religion. In Jinjiang I also carved traces of my feet to indicate symbolically that I was there. I also hid one of my carvings by a huge tree.
Manichean Cao'an Temple, on Huabiao Hill near Jinjiang
Manicheaism,founded in the third century in Persia,had been transmitted to Xinjiang in western China and to the Tang capital of Chang'an by the seventh or eighth century. It became known as the Religion of Light(Mingjiao), and gradually assimilated to buddhism. Inthe Song and Yuan periods,Quanzhou was one of the most important bases of Manichaean activities in China. This surviving sculptury of Mani in the Cao'an Temple is a world cultural treasure.
Portrait of Mani, the founder of Manichean Mani was born of Iranian (Parthian) parentage in Babylon, which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. Neo-Manichaeism is a modern revivalist movement not directly connected to the ancient faith but is sympathetic to the teachings of Mani. Some historians claim he was of Persian parentage. Mani's father, Fatik or Pattig, was from Hamadan and his mother, Maryam, was of the family of the Kamsaragan, who claimed kinship with the Parthian royal house. During his lifetime, Mani’s earliest missionaries were active in Mesopotamia, Persia, Palestine and Syria and in Egypt.
I dedicated one of my carvings to this temple
In Jinjiang I also carved traces of my feet
Jinjiang is not the only locale that features a Manichaean temple. There are others around Torpan City in northwestern China. Before I returned home I visited the Bizalkik Caves situated high in the cliffs of the west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountain, 45 km (28miles) east of Turpan. Of the 83 original caves, 57 caves currently remain. The murals cover an area over 1, 200 square meters (12,917 square feet) in more than 40 caves. The river that flows by the caves now has my fish.
Bizalkik Caves Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves stand high on the cliffs of west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountain, 45 km (28miles) east of Turpan. Of the 83 original caves, 57 caves currently remain. The murals cover an area over 1, 200 square meters (12,917 square feet) in more than 40 caves.
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