The Poetry and Art of Michal (Mitak) Mahgerefteh
Alexandria | Norfolk, Virginia
"Blooming in Otherworldly Light" Series
Award-winning collection
Blooming in the Otherworldly Light is inspired by my childhood days wandering the flower fields and orange grove behind my grandmother’s house. My siblings, cousins, and I gathered blossoms to tuck into our hair for Shabbat and holiday meals, and filled her kitchen, festive table, and guest rooms with small vases of freshly picked flowers.
​
Each composition rests on an otherworldly, timeless cosmos background, suggesting that even the most fragile moments are held within something vast and enduring. The flowers glow against this celestial field, appearing both fleeting and eternal, much like the memories that shaped those early rituals.
​
This series honors the joy of gathering nature’s gifts before they fade, and the lasting warmth of family traditions carried forward through light, color, and memory.
​
​
Current shows:
d'Art Center, Norfolk, Virginia
Van Landingham Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia
Gallery 75 @ The Art League, Alexandria, Virginia
Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, Virginia
Alexandria Animal Hospital, Virginia
The Writers Center, Bethesda, Maryland
Virginia Beach Art Center, Virginia
