“Dante’s Dream”
By Samo Shalaby
“The mind is a universe and can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” - John Milton
Dichotomies have always been a present theme in my work. Presenting something in a multifaceted and complex way rather than what initially meets the eye. As I grew up painting, Old masters have always spoken to me with their grand depictions of Heaven and Hell and what they may have looked like. In History, we’ve seen microcosms of modern-day Heaven and Hell in Earthly events and places. Nature in itself presents good and evil, and the shades of grey in between. The Cayman Islands is a perfect example of a dichotomy. A beautiful haven rooted in a dark but complex history. Before the chaos of colonialism, technology, and the ruining of ecosystems, was once a lonely and quiet planet. The vast and rich nature of the islands serves as the perfect example of nature’s bold and bleak balance between chaos and beauty, life and death, good and evil, present and past.
This self-portrait project was created during my residency in the Cayman Islands. In collaboration with my talented best friend Zeina Aref, we brought this vision to life. Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s epic poem “The Divine Comedy”, This project embarks into Dante’s journey through Paradise, Purgatory, and Inferno. Traveling through all the realms just to find himself in the end. An allegory exemplifying the voyage of life. In this dreamlike interpretation, I immerse myself in the characters of Dante, Virgil, Saint Lucy, Lucifer, and Cato. Within the surreal landscapes of a dream world, Dante encounters these characters through sleeping and waking, transcending the boundaries of reality and fiction. Shot in diverse locations around Grand Cayman, I wanted to mirror the emotional landscapes of these personas through costume. A fragmented fever dream inspired by the allegorical nature of Dante’s Tale.
It is a tribute to the power of imagination, symbolism, craft, and a true testament to magic.
The Dante cape was created by the amazing Yasmine Hawa.
Photography Shot on Medium format 120 Film in collaboration with Zeina Aref.
Video shot in collaboration with Zeina Aref.
Music: Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé Suite No. 2
All accessories and other garments were crafted by Zeina and myself throughout the residency.
Creating with Zeina is always a pleasure and a gift, very lucky to have you.
Thank you Palm Heights GC for having us, and thank you Something Curated for this opportunity, it was a pleasure coming to create these works in such an enchanting place.
Dante:
Wearing bespoke Yasmine Hawa silk taffeta cape, white victorian ruffle shirt, classical kandora, and a gold leaf headpiece by me.
Shot in Barker’s National Park West Bay, Stonewall East End Forest, and Conch Beach.
Virgil:
Wearing white satin cape, and white draped fabric underneath.
Shot in Barker’s National Park, West Bay.
Lucifer:
Wearing Black David Roads cape, and a horned headpiece by me, with black sheer jersey draped overtop it.
Shot in the Cayman Crystal Caves.
Saint Lucy:
Wearing hand pearl beaded violet lace silk tulle veil, draped violet chiffon, and hand painted eye accessory by me. Jewelry all vintage.
Shot in Smith’s Barcadere and the Cayman Blowholes.
Cato:
Wearing green chiffon, winged headpiece by me, and silver coined thatched arm and wrist bands by me.
Shot at Stonewall East End.
