Chesh Baazi

Artist Statement

Between sweet flesh, the fig eater tells you:
"They call our eyes ghazal."
Deer like. Divine. Animal. An invitation.
Be good and she'll ask you in.
Be kind and she will give your hunger a name.

Chesh Baazi depicts a nude woman draped in a transparent, silk shawl enjoying a basket
of assorted figs at her leisure and comfort. She looks at her companion lazily and with
hidden mirth. Chesh baazi translates from Farsi into “eye play” and is based on the
ancient, controversial act of Shāhid-bāzī. This ritual of flirtation between the archetypes
of the lover and the beloved would often begin the acts of ʿishq-bāzī, which translates
from Farsi and Arabic to “love play” or “lovemaking.”
Acrylic paint on canvas.