BACKSTORY
It all began on February 18, 2026—the date I first encountered Iranian artist Noushin Vedaei’s sculptures on Instagram. I was doubly intrigued by what I saw. First, by the gorgeous sculptures themselves. And secondly, because Noushin created them to re-tell tales from One Thousand and One Nights, a world-famous collection of stories. We immediately started to collaborate on 1001 Nights Retold, an exhibition for www.artwithoutboundaries.art.
However, on February 28th, the US-Israel war against Iran began. Bombs began to drop on Noushin’s country. Suddenly, there was no news from her. The Iranian government had shut down the Internet, a condition that would last for several months. Just as suddenly, I finally received a message from Noushin. She was ok, and very eager to continue working on our exhibition. Needless to say I was delighted.
PAPIER-MACHE ACTORS RETELL TIMELESS TALES
WLM=Walter L Meyer
NV=Noushin Vedaei
WLM Noushin, please give us a little background about these renowned tales, which many in the West know as The Arabian Nights.
NV Actually One Thousand and One Nights is largely based on ancient Persian and Indian tales. It was introduced to Western readers and scholars via an Arabic translation. So it became known as The Arabian Nights. It’s a collection of stories in which didactic tales provide moral lessons—guides for human life. Animal characters assume human qualities and become teachers and guides. Magic often comes to the aid of the protagonists.
WLM I was very surprised to learn something about the stories best known in the West—Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, and Sinbad the Sailor.
NV Yes, actually they’re latecomers to the collected stories. They were added to European translations relatively recently—in the 18th century.
WLM What inspired you to re-tell some of these tales with your beautiful papier-mache sculptures?
NV My deep interest in classical Eastern literature inspired this collection. The struggle between the forces of good and evil is one of the fundamental themes of ancient tales. 1001 Nights Retold reflects this age-old struggle and is a continuation of my artistic exploration of myths, rituals, and ancient tales through sculpture and installation.
WLM How did you prepare for this exhibition?
NV I read various 1001 Nights texts, listened to audio versions, and researched earlier visual representations. Ultimately, the stories and overall atmosphere of this classic literary work inspired my retelling of selected tales through the lens of my artistic practice that reflects my university education in both painting and sculpture.
WLM One of my favorite stories that you present in 1001 Nights Retold is ‘King Shahriar & His Brother Shah-Zaman.’
NV I think I know why. It presents the backstory to the entire One Thousand and One Nights collection. Everyone is familiar with its ‘frame story’—Scheherazade tells a cliffhanger story to her husband King Shahriar every night in order to prolong her life for another day. However, not everyone knows why King Shahriar began his murderous rampage of killing a new wife every night. The tale you mentioned explains how he felt betrayed by women.
WLM I’m going to ask a difficult question: Which of the characters you created for 1001 Nights Retold is your favorite?
NV To be honest, I love all the sculptures. I researched each of their stories and became deeply attached to every one of them. However, if I had to choose just one, it would be ‘The Ebony Horse’ because of the process involved in making it. Incorporating wheels introduced a new kind of movement into my sculptural practice. It forced me to experiment with different methods and models. Fortunately, the final result was very satisfying.
WLM In addition to seeing your beautiful and fascinating sculptures, visitors to 1001 Nights Retold will also come away with so much knowledge about these timeless tales.
NV Yes, my goal with our exhibition wasn’t simply artistic. I wanted to explain why I chose a specific tale, provide its historical origin, narrate the story, and perhaps most importantly, provide what I think is its moral or lesson.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
The Ebony Horse
ANCIENT PERSIAN AND INDIAN TALES
Noushin Vedaei and her 1001 Nights Retold family
GUIDES FOR HUMAN LIFE
This Jinn is a character in King Shahriar & His Brother Shah-Zaman. The Persian script reads: One Thousand and One Nights
An example of a 1001 Nights Retold installation: All the characters in The Young King & The Colorful Fish