Garden of Words is an illustrated publication by TypeAraby that explores the symbolic meanings of plants in ancient Persia through the intersection of language, mythology, and visual culture. Combining historical research, storytelling, and contemporary illustration, the publication examines how plants functioned as powerful cultural symbols, carrying associations with fertility, joy, endurance, spirituality, and renewal. Through six illustrated botanical studies, Garden of Words traces the ways nature became embedded within Persian poetry, belief systems, decorative arts, and everyday life. By reimagining these symbols through a contemporary visual language, the publication reveals the enduring relationship between plants, memory, and meaning, inviting readers to see the natural world as a living archive of cultural knowledge.
Through six illustrated botanical studies: lotus, saffron, cypress, pomegranate, fritillaries, and palm, Garden of Words traces the symbolic role of plants in ancient Persia, revealing how they came to embody ideas of purity, joy, endurance, abundance, remembrance, and generosity. Their stories unfold at the intersection of language, mythology, and visual culture, transforming botanical forms into vessels of cultural memory and meaning.
The Garden of Words series extends beyond the publication to include a collection of limited-edition screen prints and sterling silver, gold-plated necklaces inspired by the symbolic meanings and visual forms of the featured plants.
Designer & Illustrator: Shima Aeinehdar
Publisher: TypeAraby
Year: 2026
Edition: 100
150 × 210 mm
6-color screenprint on 120 gsm paper
Printed in India by Studio RollPlay
Support: Institute for Creative Research, VCUarts Qatar