A companion in colour
My name is Saeideh. I am a Gilak woman from the city of rain. Since childhood, the scent of damp earth and the rhythm of raindrops on the roof have filled my world with poetry and colour.
At fifteen, I found my closest companion: a paintbrush. In art school, I learnt to give my feelings a place on canvas and let my heart speak through colour. Yet, as life unfolded, I realised that art was my refuge, rather than the profession I wanted to pursue. I did not want the thing I loved to become an obligation.
I chose to study Physical Education, another passion that kept my spirit moving. I graduated, built a family, and God blessed me with my son, Sepanta — the light of my life.
Finding my way back
Then, in 2015, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Life, which had felt so familiar, suddenly changed. My hands trembled, my legs weakened, and I found myself moving between fear, anger and uncertainty.
After months of tears and silence, I picked up my brush again. My hands still trembled. The lines danced across the canvas — unplanned and uneven. At first, I was afraid. Then I began to see them differently.
Perhaps the trembling was not my weakness. Perhaps it was my signature.
From that moment, painting became more than art: it became a way of returning to myself. Each unsteady line reminded me that courage was still there.
A signature, not a flaw
At forty-two, with those same trembling hands, I began learning calligraphy. It brought another rhythm to my work, another melody to my life.
Today, my paintings carry traces of colour, faith and acceptance. I no longer chase perfect portraits or the sharp edges of Cubism. I paint life as it is — trembling, imperfect, yet full of love.
I have come to accept that life can be hard, unfair and unpredictable. It can also be beautiful, and worth living fully.
I am Saeideh — a woman who has learnt that even when her hands shake, her heart beats stronger than ever. This trembling is my signature, not my flaw.
Because this life is mine — and I deserve the very best.
With love,
Saeideh