The Poetry of Bewilderment

“Every path I took led me to more bewilderment,
O what a desolate desert and what an endless road!” – Hafez

Mystical bewilderment occurs to a mystic on the pilgrimage path as he perceives the truth on intuition. The mystic’s heartfelt revelations and perceptions are so astonishing that when disclosed to his intellect and mind, they fill him with a sense of wonder and awe. The mystic seeks bewilderment, whereas scholars and philosophers try to avoid it. Based on principles of logic, scholars seek to explain phenomena and ultimately overcome bewilderment.

As if left undone for many years, I developed this project during my last trip to Iran on the paths and byways of the Dasht-e Kavir, the large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. “The Poetry of Bewilderment” is a visual study of bewilderment.

The Poetry of Bewilderment, Iran, 2009-2020 © Tooraj Khamenehzadeh