2021  •  24 x 30"  Show size

Alchohol ink, Charcoal, 24 K Gold Leaf on Cold Pressed Paper mounted on a Wood Panel

Earth: the first element. Stability, grounding and strength. Industriousness. Grit. Solid matter. Feminine energy. The earth element is our foundation, our bodies and our survival. By cultivating earth energy we ground ourselves, allowing us to find a sense of place within our body, and the world. Through building and maintaining a strong foundation of Earth within ourselves, we are fully supported as the other elemental energies later introduce movement. Earth energy is the beginning. It is our roots. This work is part of the En Plein Series. Learn more about it:- “Humans, at the elemental level, have always been social beings. While we turned inwards, into our own silence and art. Two such people were Barkha and I. We both individually deepened our intimacy with ourselves and our art. Eventually, as humans often do, they make sure to find ways to stay connected. “ Shreya Mehta and Barkha Patel came together with self-produced a short in-person residency in North Salem, NY at Evari Studios in September 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. The time in the space helped them recognize how personal struggles defined the way we approach our respective art forms. “We found ourselves conversing about self-introspection at the tattva or elemental level. Who and what are we at our core, we asked? We eventually recognized and agreed that no matter how different our lives, we are all but the same. However complex, humans are sculptures made from the panch (five) simple tattvas of earth, air, water, fire and ether.” As Shreya created visuals based on the dancers movement, Barkha created dances based on the paintings of the elements. Like an infinity sign, they were in a constant give and take from one another.