unIDENTIFIED  -  this seemingly simple word can have multiple meanings by emphasizing it differently. At first, my intention was to describe someone or something, who grew up in different cultures searching for his own belonging and way of lifestyle. Be it culture-wise, look-wise or even social-wise. Someone, who feels unidentified.

I was born in Germany, but raised in an Iranian household. A literal culture clash, if you view it that way. So i‘ve been, and sometimes am, in the phase of asking myself „Who am I?“ or „Where do I really come from?“. A more or less called identity crisis, while categorizing myself into one or another culture and wondering, how it would feel without this type of clash.

While working on this project I quickly realized, that I‘m not that unidentified as I always thought I was. Why do we have to choose between one option? Why can‘t we just except the fact, that it will always be a niche between both cultures and embrace the best of both worlds? With the help of experimenting with old family pictures I discovered, who I am.

„unIDENTIFIED“ shows how my families past formed my future and the person I‘m identifying with today. Along with three designs forming one collection, I emphasized the feeling of an identity crisis, a blurry perception, the feeling of a bi-cultural identity and how both cultures working together to form one.

Material:

100% sateen silk                                                                                                                                   

Technology:

In cooperation with Kornit Digital, printed with Kornit Presto Max; direct to fabric print

Special quality:

Because of it‘s characteristics, silk does not wrinkle as much as other thin and sensible materials do.
That‘s why, the third and final design of the collection shows a wrinkled pattern on silk material.
The contrast between the flowy, lightweight fall and the crumpled pattern makes it so interesting.
The pattern, composed of family pictures moistened in a water bath, freed from their backside paper and then crumpled through a good squash. By blending all pictures together a rapport of wrinkled images appears.
The mixture of faces, images and wrinkled texture stands for melting cultures. Everything is pressed and melted in together to a point were you can‘t see the original image.

Contact:

Email: whoisnaahal(at)gmail.com
Instagram: whoisnaahal