Of Thread and Blood is a three-dimensional approach to Arash the Archer poem by Siavash Kasrai. Combining traditional Iranian aesthetics of carpets and calligraphy with the backbone of Persian culture, epic poetry, Of Thread and Blood is an exploration of identity, family history and magic.

The poem signifies personal themes of family and sacrifice for the artist and is in fact the text she learned calligraphy with at a young age. It also connects her to the spirit of her late grandfather, a poet, calligrapher, headmaster and carpet dealer, as it was read aloud by Sahba during her last encounter with him before he passed away.

The interactive piece invites the viewer to experience the poem in a physical format, creating a layer of words in the reality that can be used as a metaphysical shield of literature or a lens to be looked through.

Of Thread and Blood was created as a response to Burning House Press publication’s submission call themed, Talisman.