MBA-student Elham (Eli) Khalili (30) paints traditional Persian miniatures.
‘Persian miniatures are an ancient art form, dating back thousands of years. The paintings depict important events in Persian history or scenes in poems. I painted this miniature in Tehran last year, just before I came to the Netherlands. It is inspired by a love poem by the fourteenth century poet Hafiz about pure love and the magical beauty of the girl’s eyes and the elegance of her hair. The girl’s face in the painting reminds me of my mother. I was thinking of her when I drew the painting. In the background you can also see some other faces which is a feature of modern Persian miniature. I also put lots of flowers into the girl’s clothes. Making this miniature took me almost five months, an hour every day. To properly appreciate it you have to get very close. The finest details have been drawn with just one cat hair.’
