2021  •  24 x 30"  Show size

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

Fire is considered to be the first element that was born when the universe was created. Fire is attributed to transformational and purifying powers. It can give warmth and enable life, and it can also burn and destroy. The Element of Fire has great power for forging will and determination. It is our inner light as well as a living symbol of the Divine fire that burns in every soul. 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.