Dancing on the other side
- Niloufar Lovegrove
- May 6
- 3 min read
The Cypress Growing Season exhibition has now been deinstalled — but it leaves me with only wonderful memories.
My heartfelt thanks to curator Marguerite Brown at Whitehorse Artspace, the welcoming community of Box Hill, and everyone who visited: fellow artists, printmakers, members of the Iranian community, and the broader public.
Here are a few highlights from the works that were on display.
اونور کوه ساز میزدن
همپای آواز میزدن:
دلنگ دلنگ شاد شدیم،
از ستم آزاد شدیم…
**
On the other side of the mountain, they were playing instruments.
Along with singing songs:
Dilang, dilang we became glad and glory
We became free from tyranny
– Excerpt from the poem Paria, Ahmad Shamlou
This triptych is inspired by the final lines of Paria, a long poem by Ahmad Shamlou. While Damavand mountain is not named, it serves as a fitting image for the ending, when people celebrate their freedom “on the other side of the mountain.”
Unlike most of Shamlou’s solemn, majestic works, Paria is told in a folkloric, childlike tone, like a fairy tale, yet rich with layered meaning. It was once recorded in his own voice on a cassette for children. How much the world of children’s stories and imagination has changed since then.
Mystical and sacred Mount Damavand, the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East, holds deep symbolic meaning in Persian literature, mythology, and national identity. It represents the triumph of justice over tyranny. In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, it is where Zahhak is imprisoned—Damavand becomes a mountain of resistance and power.
In classical poetry (as in the opening lines below), Bahar portrays Damavand as a force of hope and awakening, a living, conscious being, allied with celestial strength. Silent in the face of tyranny, it holds back its righteous fury. The poet calls on it to release that rage, to strike the sky, and free the people from oppression.
ای دیو سپید پای در بند!
ای گنبد گیتی! ای دماوند!
**
O white giant, bound at the feet!
O dome of the world! O Damavand!
– Excerpt from the poem Damaavandieh, Malek o-Sho’ara Bahar
Cultural Connections at Whitehorse Artspace
Installation view of Tree of Life, school holiday activity and a personal note that has been shared with curator, Marguerite Brown,
It was wonderful to see so many visitors in Melbourne enjoying the exhibition, heartfelt thanks to Whitehorse Artspace for showcasing the Tree of Life kids activity during the school holidays. I was especially touched by members of the Iranian community, who were delighted to encounter familiar, cherished themes so far from home. Many shared their appreciation, connected deeply with the work, and even left me heartfelt message, an experience I will always treasure.
Thank you Melbourne!
New Acquisition
Fertile Offering and Harvesting the Seeds, 2025, Niloufar Lovegrove (Pishva), 41 x 64cm, Layered lino prints, hand sewn together.
Absolutely thrilled that Whitehorse Artspace has added two of my Blue Hands pieces, Fertile Offering and Harvesting the Seeds, to their fascinating collection of landscapes. The commitment and support for artists from the team and curator, Marguerite Brown, are truly invaluable.
Explore the Blue Hands series on my website,
add a piece to your collection or get in touch with any enquiries.
Thanks for reading along. May your dreams spin into threads that wrap you in warmth and possibility.
Exhibition view: Harvesting the Clouds, 2025, Niloufar Lovegrove, 35 x 50 x 35cm, Cardboard, paulownia wood, felt, wool, glue
