Ode to Jamal

My beloved maternal grandfather passed away this fall. He lived a long life full of beauty and also tragedy. He devoted his entire life to his paintbrush and the Kurdish cause. He has inspired me my entire life and I believe a lot of my creativity I inherited from him. He was a one of a kind man, a rare type of man. He was a big advocate and supporter of womens rights, Kurdish freedom is something he fought for his whole, through his activism and art. He stood with Qazi Muhammad during the time of the Kurdish Republic in Eastern Kurdistan, he walked on foot from Kurdistan to Palestine, selling art a long the way for places to sleep during the journey. He painted beauty, he painted resilience, he painted sadness, he painted freedom, he painted humanity. This piece is an ode to him, I feel as though he would have enjoyed seeing this piece, because it feels very Kurdish.

The Kuzhaka is a brilliant blue bead used to ward off evil eyes. My mom prefers it over eyes, it reminds her of her childhood in Kurdistan.

18k gold plated brass chain and hardware, vintage blue glass teardrop stone from 1960s, mini gold plated evil eye, vintage teardrop pearl, gold plated brass Kuzhaka charm. 21inch chain with extension.

Handcrafted with love in Texas during the Fall(Payiz)/Winter(Zistan) of 2020.