Be the Light - 4

Thesis behind the Collection

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”. Marianne Williamson A Return To Love: The ’Be The Light’ collection is an invitation for us to share our light, illuminate connection and synthesize this narrative together.

Intrigued by the Chinese Symbol, Yin and Yang and its representation of balance, flow, transformation, and the opposing forces and the interchange and interplay of everything. The state of feeling the light is not achievable without participation in its counterpart. We cannot see or feel one without the other, we would not have happiness without sadness, morning without night. Life can be tough, filled with challenges and hardships. However, amidst the struggles, there’s a profound beauty that unfolds—a captivating tapestry woven with moments of magic, renewal, and purpose. These vibrant sparks of awe and wonder remind us of the true essence and meaning that life holds.

Amidst the pursuit of peace and equity, we find ourselves challenged by worn-out ideologies, outdated institutions, and societal systems that no longer serve our collective future. It’s a time that feels both un- settling and surreal, as we emerge from a pandemic and confront pressing issues like climate change and global humanitarian crises.

However, could it be that this turmoil serves as a catalyst for hope and prompts us to reconsider tradi- tional societal constructs? Our survival depends on the presence of hope and connection. This got me thinking about how I / we carry light within ourselves and how we can utilize this energy to reflect it onto others. We don’t need to prove our worthiness of possessing it, but Western society dictates otherwise. We have been conditioned to stay within the bounds of fear, overwhelm, and detachment from one an- other and this planet.

If there’s anything my previous work with fungi/mushrooms and their mycelium networks taught me, it was the importance of connection and their contribution of nutrients to surrounding ecosystems. And they do this in the darkness of the underground! I think that’s a wonderful paradigm to reflect on, don’t you!?

Being attuned to the light in my art practice means understanding its properties and collaborating and playing with it to create my desired outcomes. By arranging and layering my abstractly hand-painted repurposed glass surfaces, one in front of the other, I intentionally corralled the daylight to reflect on the powerful sentiments of ‘light.’ The daylight protruded through the panes with an ethereal effect, which I captured through the lens of my camera and distilled into 7 magnified photographic fine art prints.

I love working with metaphors, and ‘Light’ is an incredibly powerful one. It represents positivity, hope, knowledge, and healing. It can be used as a beacon to guide us through the challenges of life in its many forms and representations. My wish for this collection is that it enables you to lift your spirits, reside, and resonate with its meaning, bringing the presence of light, joy, and hope into your home’s interior vista, and allowing you to carry that feeling out into your exterior world.

This is the feeling I crave, the feeling I want to create for myself, and shine on you through this collection. - Anna