By restricting his colour palette to black and white, the 99 ink on paper works that comprise Majd Kurdieh's Hold Onto The Flower series, take the viewer on a nostalgic journey into the past. Like a black and white film flickering on a grainy screen, these images are deliberately imprecise and drained of the artist's usually vibrant colours, leaving space for imagination. Even though they are monochromatic, the viewers interpret the colours as they desire in a process which the artist describes as "igniting the flames of memory".
Naturally, Kurdieh's animal gang maintain their ubiquitous presence. In this adventure, Mr. Elephant who has a fish for a heart, engages in a long discussion with his heart, then he lets go of the physical world and holds only to the flower of the series' title. Fasooneh is depicted in multiple works; in one painting, she is selling smiles in return for kisses; in another, she is facing up to Mr. Monster while the gang hide in the shade of her hair or inside her eyes. In a particularly striking work, Fasooneh is dressed as a fireman, fighting the fire raging in Fasoon's heart. Fasoon also plays multiple roles in the new collection; he's a wizard, who can transform objects into birds; a gypsy; a fisherman, waiting for the river to come his way; and a horseman, riding his horse and reciting classical Arabic poetry.
This new series features a new character; Mr. Mouse for Whom Nothing is Impossible. Mr. Mouse raises the Sun Flag in the face of the storm.
Like a yearning for home cooked food or the trace of a song winding through the depths of early childhood memories, this series connects the viewer to forgotten places in their minds. It is the artist's intention that after witnessing the 99 tales depicted, the 100th is for the viewer to reflect upon in a boundless dream.
