"Terrestrial Verses" on the borderline: an interdisciplinary decolonial reading of Forugh Farrokhzad and Frida Kahlo

Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian poet and filmmaker, and Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter, are known for their distinctive voices, expressive art, and individuality as women in patriarchal societies. While their works have been studied from biographical and feminist perspectives, their political viewpoints and global awareness have been largely unexplored. This article addresses this gap by examining their art through a decolonial lens. Both artists lived through the World Wars and their consequences, reflecting these experiences in their work, which demonstrates "decolonial aesthetics." The central focus is Farrokhzad's poem, "Terrestrial Verses," which highlights the environmental and health consequences of war, mirroring themes present in Kahlo's painting. The article explores the Iranian leprosy epidemic as a postcolonial disease, illustrating the lasting impact of colonialism and international events.

Existing scholarship on Farrokhzad and Kahlo primarily focuses on biographical and feminist interpretations, neglecting their political engagement and decolonial perspectives. The only known comparative study, "A Comparative Study of Death in Works by Forugh Farrokhzad and Frida Kahlo," by Arman Yaghoubpour and Elham Shams, adheres to this traditional viewpoint, emphasizing the artists' emotional experiences. This article departs from these existing interpretations by employing an interdisciplinary and decolonial feminist approach, analyzing the artworks as expressions of resistance against colonial power structures and patriarchy.

This research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on medical history, literary analysis, art history, and postcolonial/decolonial theory. The methodology aligns with Henry Remak's definition of comparative literature, emphasizing diverse perspectives and the relationship between literature and other fields of knowledge. The study critically engages with the concept of comparison itself, recognizing its potential as a colonial tool. The framework draws upon the work of Walter Mignolo and Aníbal Quijano to understand coloniality and decoloniality, focusing on the "colonial matrix of power." The analysis examines the shared thematic and conceptual elements contributing to decolonial feminine resistance in Farrokhzad's poem "Terrestrial Verses," her documentary *The House is Black*, and Kahlo's painting *Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States*. The study considers the historical and political contexts, including the impact of WWI and WWII, on both artists' work. The concept of hybridity and the "Third Space of Enunciation" (Bhabha) is utilized to understand the cultural contexts shaping their art. Decolonial feminism is employed to challenge the Western feminist framework and its colonial influences, examining how these artists created hybrid spaces beyond binary oppositions.

The article establishes a connection between Farrokhzad's work and the historical context of leprosy in Iran. It argues that the significant rise of leprosy during the 1940s was linked to the British and Russian presence during WWI and the subsequent famine, positioning leprosy as a postcolonial disease. Farrokhzad's poem "Terrestrial Verses" and film *The House is Black* are interpreted as artistic responses to this postcolonial reality. The poem's imagery is analyzed to reveal its connection to the consequences of nuclear and chemical warfare, paralleling Kahlo's portrayal of the environmental and social devastation in her painting. The article analyzes Kahlo's *Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States*, revealing its dual depiction of Mexico and the US. The Mexican side is portrayed as natural and alive, while the US side is depicted as industrialized and destructive. The use of Aztec imagery reflects a decolonizing approach, reclaiming indigenous traditions. The analysis explores the painting's symbolism, including the Sun and Moon, which represents the Aztec religion, and the damaged Aztec temple, which could represent the destruction caused by both American imperialism and the destructive power of nature (a solar flare). The Ford factory symbolizes the Ford Hunger March, demonstrating Kahlo's political views. The chemical plant in the painting is connected to American chemical weapons development during WWI. Kahlo's self-portrait, wearing a European dress and holding the Mexican flag, portrays her as a hybrid figure representing the internalized effects of colonization. The comparison of Farrokhzad and Kahlo's works reveals their shared decolonial feminist perspectives, their resistance to oppression, and their unique artistic responses to global events and historical contexts. Their artistic works, although veiled, convey opposition to colonialism, the destructive effects of war, and the suppression of women's rights.

This comparative study demonstrates how Farrokhzad and Kahlo, working in different mediums and geographical contexts, articulated similar decolonial concerns. Their art serves as a form of resistance, challenging colonial power structures and patriarchal norms. By utilizing elements of their cultural heritage, they created spaces for expressing marginalized voices and perspectives. The analysis of leprosy as a postcolonial disease in Iran reveals how global events can have lasting consequences on local populations. The comparison of the two artists expands our understanding of decolonial aesthetics and the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate historical and cultural contexts. The study contributes to the field by offering a nuanced analysis of their work through an interdisciplinary and decolonial feminist lens.

This article offers a novel interpretation of Forugh Farrokhzad's and Frida Kahlo's works, highlighting their decolonial perspectives and revealing their interconnected artistic responses to global events. The study underscores the importance of analyzing art through interdisciplinary lenses and emphasizes the continuing relevance of their artistic contributions in contemporary discussions of colonialism, feminism, and social justice. Future research could explore the reception and impact of their work on subsequent generations of artists and activists, further analyzing the specific ways in which their art promoted decolonial thought and action.

The study focuses primarily on a limited selection of artworks by Farrokhzad and Kahlo. A more comprehensive analysis of their entire bodies of work could provide a richer understanding of their artistic evolution and decolonial perspectives. Furthermore, future research could benefit from a more detailed exploration of the reception and influence of their art in their respective cultural contexts and beyond. Access to certain historical archives related to the leprosy epidemic in Iran might have provided additional data for contextualization.