Aequitas

From her childhood memories of the fabled Huma bird common in Iran to her fascination in the legends of the hummingbird native to the Americas, Laleh Mehran has found commonalities in the reverence and might attributed to these two birds. The legends say that the Huma bird exists above the planet and never touches the ground. The creature is a common motif in Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Urdu poetry traditions. In Sufi traditional stories, even catching a glimpse of the shadow of the creature would make one happy for a lifetime. Across the Americas, the very real hummingbird inspires legends disproportionate to its physical scale. The themes span from associations with the Aztec god of the sun, war, and human sacrifice to the Mojave creation myth that people lived underground until the hummingbird came to them and led them out into the light.
Mehran’s work, often modeled on historical research transformed into metaphors and symbolism, addresses contemporary socio-political landscapes. The title for this work, “Aequitas,” is derived from the Latin concept of justice and equality. As encroaching fanaticism furthers inequities, intersectional solidarity of action is required to create hope for more ethical collective futures. Mehran’s project, much like the Huma bird, is meant to inspire our internal and collective powers to make changes — from the smallest ripple to a tsunami.
The “Aequitas” form references the back-to-back Huma bird sculptures found in Persepolis, Iran, but in this sculpture, it is hummingbirds merging into a new unified creature. The form is repeated in a ring, wings interlocked to create a powerful presence ready for ongoing action in our complex world.
Derived from “Hummingbird Ornament” by louisesr71 licensed under CC BY.
Shapeways Collection: First collectors of this work will receive a corresponding 3D print from Shapeways. Within two weeks of the sale closing, Feral File will contact collectors to input their name, email address, and shipping information to provide to Shapeways for fulfillment. Shipping and printing costs are included in the price of the work. Note that all orders will take 6-8 weeks to deliver. After initial collection, NFTs can continue to be collected on the secondary market without the 3D printed component.
The artwork will be printed in Grey MJF Plastic PA12 at an approximate size of 8cm x 8cm x 6cm.