The Forest: a Microcosm of the World (Lights Off)
Mixed Media
2022
The Forest: a Microcosm of the World (Lights On)
Mixed Media
2022
The theme of my vessel art piece is the interconnection between those of a shared identity. Forest habitats showcase intricate and diverse mutual relations between biotic and abiotic elements; therefore, I recreated a forest habitat using living and synthetic materials to represent the interconnections observed in this world and the universe. Humans are created from lifeless soil and water; thus, the land and stream created from styrofoam serve as the foundation for my vessel art through which the trees and plants grow in the form of living pine needles, branches, dried goldenrods and pine cones. The recurring living elements create harmony and emulate a forest, with duller coloured pines at the back and bright-hued branches in the midground to emphasize distance; the variations in height also help lead one's eyes through the piece. Animals made from clay and painted with acrylics, including a squirrel, deer, nuthatch, and sparrows, interact with the various layers of the forest, envisioned through the elements of line and space. These interactions represent how the universe is an organic whole in which everyone has the power to make an impact on another and initiate change. From the water, a symbol of truth in Islam, appears a crepe paper Tulip with its petals resembling the Arabic name of Allah. The Tulip is positioned in the center of the frame to symbolize that the Creator is the source of the universe. It also emulates a reflection of oneself when one realizes their divine element–the soul–and thus their connection to Allah; the red and white colour of the Tulip draws emphasis and represents the love and purity in one's relationship with the Creator. 
The barrel is created from natural reclaimed wood to complement the living aspects of the piece, while its panels resemble a triptych. The two halves of the Earth are painted on each panel to direct one's eye to the forest and visually conceptualize the landscape as a microcosm of the world's interconnectedness.
A puck light is secured at the top of the vessel to represent the alternation between night and day, which supplements life and is expressed in the Quran as a sign of the Ultimate Reality, Allah. 
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