The Siahkal Incident (Jungle Incident)

Oil on glossy cardboard · 24 × 36 inches

In “The Siahkal Incident”, a luminous forest rises upward, guiding the eye toward a solitary figure ascending into light. Along the path below, elongated bodies lie scattered or curled inward, suspended between stillness and awakening.

The trees function ambiguously—as shelter and obstruction. Flickering light isolates some figures while leaving others in shadow, suggesting differing degrees of resolve. The glossy surface intensifies this unstable illumination, heightening the scene's psychological tension.

Rather than dramatizing confrontation, the painting lingers at the threshold before action. The ascending figure embodies conviction and risk; the remaining figures suggest hesitation, doubt, or the burden of consequences. In reference to the 1971 uprising, the work neither glorifies nor condemns rebellion. Instead, it reflects on the solitude of commitment and the fragile moment when belief must overcome fear.