TEHRAN (IFP)-Iranian graphic artist Carmel Maleki, who was expected to represent Iran in an international event to reconstruct the quake-hit city of L’Aquila in Italy, has been denied a visa to visit the European country.
Maleki is among the graphic artists who were picked up from across the world to take part in the international "Rebirth” project to reconstruct the Italian city of L’Aquila, which had been destroyed in a 2009 earthquake.  
The Rebirth project is a public effort to reconstruct the city of L’Aquila. The participating artists are set to design a monument for the city to replace the cathedral church of L’Aquila, which was destroyed during the earthquake.  
"The project is based on cultural exchanges. Eight artists from five countries – China, Finland, Italy, France and Iran – have been picked up to implement the project under the supervision of one of the most famous architects in the world,” Maleki said.
Elaborating on her design selected for the project, she said it is a combination of Iranian traditional painting and mythology.
"L’Aquila means eagle in Italian. That’s why I’ve used a portrait of an eagle in my design. The portrait of the eagle used to be among the main themes of our national flag in the past. Lotus is another symbol which I’ve used in my design. The flower is widely viewed as the symbol of growth and perfection. It is in line with the main message of the Rebirth project,” she said.
Carmel says she has also used a portrait of an Achaemenid guardian, a lion as the symbol of power and a horse as the symbol of health and happiness.
She cited Iran’s presence in the project as a significant development and said "I’ve used ancient Iranian symbols to show that all of the symbols used in today’s world are deeply rooted in our ancient culture.”