Reminiscent of a Shinmei Torii gate with its unadorned undeviating lines this work's simplicity belies a powerful contemplative spectacle. With its nod to Shintoism we ourselves are forced to bow down to the relatively diminutive floor based piece as a shrine goer would.
The delicate washes of vital red and white leaving the grain exposed suggest a weathered boundary between the gallery space and the sacred domain beyond. The bitonal soil arrangement mirrors the two colours of the gate. There's suggestion of fertility contrasted with barrenness - a fresh burial perhaps.
The light contained by the gate causes it to cast a shadow on the wall beyond. Its a beacon; a nascent consciousness inviting us to cross this threshold.
To be enlightened is to be aware, always,
of total reality in its immanent otherness -
to be aware of it and yet remain in a condition to survive as an animal.The Doors of Perception
Aldous Huxley
This work is part of a larger exhibition called 'Nebulous - Blurring Boundaries' curated by Qloud Collective and hosted at the Purist Gallery in London during April 2025.
