Serdzada (Prayer Mat), 2020
Mirela Cufurovic
Watercolour on 100% cotton, hot press Windsor and Newton 300gsm watercolour paper
420mm x 594mm
Colour
multi
Serdžada (Prayer Mat) tells the story of finding home through faith, no matter where one is in the world. It aims to capture the idea of home not always being a ‘place.’ It can be the solace in which one finds through faith and prayer. Although the concept is universal among all refugees—who turn to faith when their physical ‘homes’ are no longer theirs—this artwork uses the example of Bosniak refugee displacement in the aftermath of the Bosnian War, 1992-1995. The rumpled centre pays tribute to the crocheted flower, used as a sign of remembrance of the genocide that took place in Srebrenica in July, 1995. The colour of the prayer mat—hooker’s green—symbolises Bosniak Muslim identity as well as the hope Bosniaks hold for their future as refugees in new places they’ve now learnt to call ‘home’. Serdžada was a featured artwork in the HOME 2020 exhibition, sponsored by City of Greater Dandenong, Melbourne and IKEA Springvale.