“Though the Saqqakhana artists are referred to as a school, their stylistic diversity speaks to the true nature of the movement: a fluid outpouring of practices and ideas, rather than one that was organized or philosophically driven. For Emami, the term Saqqakhana reflected this spirit: the works became their own metaphoric repository of Persian objects, ranging from the religious to the secular. Ideologically and artistically, many of these artists were searching for a way to embrace both their cultural roots and their individual identities as international, innovative, and above all modern artists. They wanted to be perceived as cosmopolitan, current, and relevant. They were in search of an art form that would speak for the country’s masses and embody elements of Shi‘i visual culture.”