ANAHITA

ANAHITA or (NAHID) is the name of goddess of fertility. In ancient Persia it was believed that She is the source of all waters, upon the earth, fertility, purifying, the seed of all males. During the Islamic period Sufis mostly showed interest in the female beloved. In Sufi poetry, which is a highly technical language of love, woman is a symbol of Divine realities. The beauty of the beautiful face is a mirror in which we can observe the beauty of the Divine. However in recent decades feminism is an important issue. The reflection of this global movement can be seen in contemporary art.  Anahita Gallery exhibit the works which show not only female subjects in symbolic style but also woman subject in  contemporary art.

A few examples of these carved images depict a man and a woman, hands raised upwards to cup a hollow in the rock, where water gathers during the rain for small birds to drink. These works recall Anahita, the goddess of water and fertility. There is a great slab of rock in the middle of this river, where another of these holes allows water to gather.