ARTIST STATEMENT
Throughout high school, I have found a passion for yoga and meditation due to the tranquility and inner peace I discovered through practice. Art is another outlet for many individuals, including myself, where tranquility and inner peace can be found. With my Spring Art Show, I wanted to intertwine these two important practices in my life.
In IB 3D Art, I chose to focus on the breath. Breathing is a significant part of yoga and meditation, as it calms the mind and ultimately connects the body, mind, and spirit before practice. I created various-sized discs with a unique symbol that represents a part of yoga and meditation. I cut out various-sized holes in the discs surrounding the symbol to represent the different types of breath used in yoga. This also creates variety in my pieces. I chose to enclose the symbol with a circular disc to represent that breathing is a cycle that never ends. Placing holes in the fragile clay disc was a delicate, difficult task, however, so is breathing. It is easy for one’s mind to wander during yoga and one may forget to breathe, but it is very important to keep breathing through each pose to get the most out of the practice. Between the symbol and the disc is negative space. The symbol is attached to each disc with a translucent cord so the symbol appears to be floating in the middle of the disc. The negative space allows air to come through each piece and rotate the symbol, just like one must push air out of their lungs and back in when taking deep, controlled breaths. Negative space also exists when my pieces are all next to each other, floating in the air due to the translucent cord holding them up. My pieces are placed closely together in an asymmetrical pattern to represent the flow of the breath. Breaths are not always the same. They all flow differently depending on the emotions one may have at that time, hence the asymmetrical pattern of my pieces. Although the pieces are different sizes and feature different symbols, the form of the disc with small holes and a symbol within the disc is the same. This makes the body of work cohesive, yet with enough variety that each piece stands out on its own. I chose meaningful symbols that represent different aspects of yoga and meditation. For example, the lotus flower serves as a reminder of the beauty that comes from nature. The Om represents the ongoing sound that comes from the universe. There are many components of yoga and meditation that help those who participate reach the end goal of inner peace. I added texture with lines that I carved into each symbol to create movement on the symbol. This will help guide the audience’s eye across each symbol while representing the movement of air while one breathes. I painted each symbol with acrylic paint so I could create a monotone, calming color scheme. The colors are all mellow in order to not take away from the intricate symbols and to help the audience feel serene.
In Ceramics Studio Workshop, I created lidded forms that each represent a chakra stone, which are used as healing stones during meditation. Each stone correlates to a different part of the body, and helps heal that specific body part while meditating. I chose to represent the chakra stones with a thrown lidded form because it represents the closure meditation can provide someone during practice. The lidded forms gradually get smaller towards the center to add emphasis on the middle piece and it also guides the viewer’s eye to the center as well. I wanted the form of my pieces to be simple, hence the cylindrical form, to not take away from the surface design. The contrast of the black symbol on the calm tones allows the symbol to stand out. The monotone color scheme allows the audience to feel calm while viewing my work. I chose to paint my pieces with acrylics to allow a more detailed painted on symbol.
My Spring Art Show aims to allow the viewers to stop for a moment, think about their breathing patterns, slow down, and feel at peace. Life can be chaotic, and it is important to take time out of a busy day to focus on meditation and yoga. No matter how short, quiet time practicing yoga or meditation can bring the peace we all endlessly search for.
Throughout high school, I have found a passion for yoga and meditation due to the tranquility and inner peace I discovered through practice. Art is another outlet for many individuals, including myself, where tranquility and inner peace can be found. With my Spring Art Show, I wanted to intertwine these two important practices in my life.
In IB 3D Art, I chose to focus on the breath. Breathing is a significant part of yoga and meditation, as it calms the mind and ultimately connects the body, mind, and spirit before practice. I created various-sized discs with a unique symbol that represents a part of yoga and meditation. I cut out various-sized holes in the discs surrounding the symbol to represent the different types of breath used in yoga. This also creates variety in my pieces. I chose to enclose the symbol with a circular disc to represent that breathing is a cycle that never ends. Placing holes in the fragile clay disc was a delicate, difficult task, however, so is breathing. It is easy for one’s mind to wander during yoga and one may forget to breathe, but it is very important to keep breathing through each pose to get the most out of the practice. Between the symbol and the disc is negative space. The symbol is attached to each disc with a translucent cord so the symbol appears to be floating in the middle of the disc. The negative space allows air to come through each piece and rotate the symbol, just like one must push air out of their lungs and back in when taking deep, controlled breaths. Negative space also exists when my pieces are all next to each other, floating in the air due to the translucent cord holding them up. My pieces are placed closely together in an asymmetrical pattern to represent the flow of the breath. Breaths are not always the same. They all flow differently depending on the emotions one may have at that time, hence the asymmetrical pattern of my pieces. Although the pieces are different sizes and feature different symbols, the form of the disc with small holes and a symbol within the disc is the same. This makes the body of work cohesive, yet with enough variety that each piece stands out on its own. I chose meaningful symbols that represent different aspects of yoga and meditation. For example, the lotus flower serves as a reminder of the beauty that comes from nature. The Om represents the ongoing sound that comes from the universe. There are many components of yoga and meditation that help those who participate reach the end goal of inner peace. I added texture with lines that I carved into each symbol to create movement on the symbol. This will help guide the audience’s eye across each symbol while representing the movement of air while one breathes. I painted each symbol with acrylic paint so I could create a monotone, calming color scheme. The colors are all mellow in order to not take away from the intricate symbols and to help the audience feel serene.
In Ceramics Studio Workshop, I created lidded forms that each represent a chakra stone, which are used as healing stones during meditation. Each stone correlates to a different part of the body, and helps heal that specific body part while meditating. I chose to represent the chakra stones with a thrown lidded form because it represents the closure meditation can provide someone during practice. The lidded forms gradually get smaller towards the center to add emphasis on the middle piece and it also guides the viewer’s eye to the center as well. I wanted the form of my pieces to be simple, hence the cylindrical form, to not take away from the surface design. The contrast of the black symbol on the calm tones allows the symbol to stand out. The monotone color scheme allows the audience to feel calm while viewing my work. I chose to paint my pieces with acrylics to allow a more detailed painted on symbol.
My Spring Art Show aims to allow the viewers to stop for a moment, think about their breathing patterns, slow down, and feel at peace. Life can be chaotic, and it is important to take time out of a busy day to focus on meditation and yoga. No matter how short, quiet time practicing yoga or meditation can bring the peace we all endlessly search for.