Artist - Sara

Artist Sara is 74 years old and was born in Iran. In June 1990 she fled to the Netherlands as a political refugee, where she was given the opportunity to rebuild her life. Although she has Iranian roots, Sara mainly considers herself a global citizen. Justice, freedom and women’s rights run as a common thread throughout her life. Women make up half of the world’s population, she says, yet they still do not have equal rights. This affects her deeply and that involvement is reflected in everything she creates.

Creativity is a way for Sara to explore herself and deepen her thoughts. Painting brings her peace. In that peace, ideas, meanings and images emerge. She thinks carefully about what she makes. Every work should carry a thought, a message and serve a purpose. For her, art is not just decoration, but a way to say something about the world.

She has been painting for two to three years at the DoeMeeHuis and is therefore a beginning artist, but her life experience gives her work depth. She uses a lot of colour and works in different styles. Her designs are thoughtful and personal. Besides painting, she also enjoys sewing — another way of creating something with her hands.

The design that has now been released as a sock centres around giraffes. For Sara, giraffes symbolise non-violent communication, wisdom, patience and the ability to look ahead. That is what she wishes for the world. The small giraffe in her work refers to nature and the importance of caring for all living things. Nature must be preserved, for animals and for people. In her painting, the giraffe literally lives together with the greenery.

Seeing her design worn as a sock — and donated — means a lot to her. The donation aspect is even one of the main reasons she participates in this project. She wants to contribute and be of value to society. Recognition in the form of compliments is less important to her than the idea that her work contributes to something bigger and sends a message into the world.

With this sock, you are not only wearing a colourful design, but also Sara’s vision of humanity, connection and responsibility. She hopes that people will not only see the art, but also feel the thought behind it.

You can find her sock HERE!