Unleashed

A journey through Persian demonology in relation to physical and mental health issues.

In many Middle Eastern traditions – including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – evil spirits or supernatural forces were believed to be the reason or cause of illness. Based on some religious transcripts, they have one mission in common; to enslave human souls and take control by bewitching, seducing or torturing them. Conversely, science provides rational and logical explanations for unknown phenomena. Whether we believe that illness and disease are the faults of supernatural creatures or just a malfunction in our minds, they create an eerie and uncanny state, where we become suspended between the real world and fantasy. As a non-material part of our existence, the human mind easily binds reality and imagination. This project is concerned with visually depicting different states of a chaotic mind in conflict with demons as parasites. Digital collage, symbolism and iconography are utilized to portray these invisible beings that creep into the human soul and to visualize this disturbing experience. Unleashed is an expedition to find the narrow line between sanity and madness, an attempt to capture the moment in which these two overlap.