PASSION DISAPPEARS, LOVE MUST REMAIN: A TRUE STORY OF HEARTBREAK BY SAINT
Original artwork by Arash Zarifian I Video by Dina Gerami I Music by Ilyar Mehrabi
When Mahzad Morsali, known artistically as Saint, realized her secret love affair with K was tearing her apart, she decided to lay it all bare. Although she had once been enthralled by the daunting lure of being the other woman, she knew had to find her way back to herself.
“When Judith is standing with Holofernes’s head in her hands, she is being recalled by an item that does not necessarily originate from positivity and bright aspects, but also contains a dark and heavy story within it that cones to the surface of a being and performs the other side of the story as desired.”
Mahzad sat down with her friend and collaborator Arash Zarifian, who illustrated a raw and visceral tableau of modern betrayal. Together, they sketched the turbulent affair that defined her twenties, weaving a story around the archetypal figures of Barbie and Ken—a framework that vividly reflected the narratives colored by Mahzad's inner child.
She then planned a big release party at a Tehran gallery, inviting everyone, including K, while passing around copies of her heartbreak.
“Pain has been a constant companion in my life, pushing me to find ways to turn sorrow into something beautiful. I seek my asylum in mirroring my journey from suffering to beauty.”
Read her story here.
