Remembering Atefeh
Remembering Atefeh commemorates the life of an Iranian girl named Atefeh Sahaaleh who was sentenced to death for ‘crimes against chastity’ aged 16 by an Iranian court. Clare hand-built the piece, painting the interior along the way and including an image of Atefeh inside. The portrait, taken from her ID card, remains the only extant image of Atefeh. In 2011, the artist and a group of Iranian friends staged a performance-protest outside the Embassy of Iran in London during which they recited poetry, sang songs and smashed the pot. Clare then collected the shards and reassembled them in the shape of a pot. She left some pieces missing so that viewers of the work can see the image of Atefeh inside. The edges of the gaps are painted in gold to honour Atefeh’s life and attempts to fight the injustices she faced.
