ISO Davis: Represent & Give Back

About this campaign

This artwork was designed by Ava Jabbari, a UC Davis student.

The design features the map of Iran formed by the repeated word Iran again and again to represent the many voices, histories, and stories that make up the country.

At the top of the map, the word “Vatan” (وطن), which means homeland in Farsi fits like a puzzle piece. Flowing waves symbolize the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north, the waters that frame Iran’s geography and history.

The piece includes a line from the Iranian poet Mirzadeh Eshghi:

خاک وطن که رفت، چه خاکی به سر کنم؟ One translation of this line reads: “If the soil of my homeland is lost, what dust can I place upon my head in mourning?”

Together, these elements reflect love for homeland, memory, and identity.