Nature Heals

Gouache

When I picked up my vessel from gallery weeks ago, I noticed a fairly obvious "flaw" in the bowl. My first instinct was to select another bowl to work on.
But on second thought, selected it knowing I would use that "flaw" as part of my concept behind silver linings.
After the horrible and devastating explosion in Beirut, where I was born, in early August, I learned of the Japanese art of mending with kintsugi.
This method is about embracing the "flaws" and imperfections of the art piece. Using gold to mend the broken pieces, thus creating a stronger more beautiful piece of art, in effect, highlighting those "flaws" or imperfections, and creating something even more resilient.
During the lockdown and continuing pandemic, walking by the Reflecting Pool, watching the seasons change over the past year, spending more time outside in nature, has helped me focus on finding beauty in the brokenness around me. It has made me reevaluate the "flaws" and think of new ways to heal and mend, embracing those painful scars, to become stronger and more resilient.