My Soul

My Soul

       My name is Mahsa. I arrived in Belfast in 2020 following a long and arduous journey from my home city of Shiraz in Iran. My reasons for leaving Iran are many, but my story is so much more than a refugee seeking sanctuary in Belfast. I am a mother of 3 beautiful children, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece and a friend.

The exhibition I have created, invites you to catch a glimpse into My Soul.

I have always loved creating things. From a young age I learnt various skills from my mother. It is a tradition in my culture to paint, weave, draw, write and express yourself using creative arts. As a child I was rarely seen without a notebook, sketchbook or some sort of material that helped me to create. Sadly, this innocent and beautiful way of life gets eroded when you grow up, and my life took a different direction. I studied Microbiology and my creative explorations had to stop.

My journey to this exhibition has been filled with many highs and lows. Adjusting to a new way of life in the UK has not been without its challenges. Like many newcomers, I have experienced the very best of people and the very worst.

I want this exhibition to speak of my love for creating, and how a passion, that was once lost, has been reignited to bring me to where I am today.

I hope this exhibition can serve as an intimate window into many layers of My Soul by giving a voice to emotions that words cannot always express and will stand as a testament to the power of art that can heal and transcend the borders. My work represents the values that I hold most dear - family, community, faith and the rich heritage of Iranian and Celtic cultures.

Each brushstroke carries the legacy of my mother’s teachings and finding peace and balance in my new life here in Northern Ireland...