When to Pick a Pomegranate

“I want to tear these thoughts out of my flesh. How could I forget just how rotten I am?”

In this collection of contemplative and cathartic short comics, the pomegranate Anar and the woman Guli exist as reflections of each other ― repellent to one another and yet inexorably drawn together once more. As they evolve through each story, proceeding through the stages of the plant life cycle, they take on new roles: muse and artist, gardener and seed, lover and fruit. The iterations reveal new revelations, exploring the themes of shame, grief, destiny, and survival at each turn. Abedifard’s comic form evokes Persianate storytelling and draws on stylistic elements found in illuminated manuscripts, building an experience as rich and complex as the taste of pomegranate on one’s tongue.