Serafim DimBOG’ (2025)

At the center of Dim’s most recent body of work is Ajdaho, the dragon-like figure rooted in Iranian and Central Asian mythology. Traditionally associated with water, rain, and the forces of nature, Ajdaho becomes in Dim’s work a guardian of craft and the spirit of its transmission. The artist reinterprets the figure as a force that passes from one maker to another, carrying the knowledge, skill, and meaning embedded in the act of making. Selected works draw on the tradition of the khushtak, a handmade clay whistle traditionally shaped as an animal or mythical creature. Associated with the arrival of spring, the khushtak was once part of seasonal rituals, as it was believed to call for rain, awaken the earth, and protect against harmful forces. In Dim’s interpretation, the object carries these layers of ritual and cultural memory, becoming part of a larger meditation on the continuity of craft.