Latest Collection: “Spandrel Spaces: The Art of In-Between”

In the natural world, complexity often masquerades as simplicity, with the visible only hinting at the vast unseen. Synapse, spandrels, stoma, symbiosis and systems of sentience explode. The exhibition comes out of my immersion in the intricate tapestry of biological systems through the lenses of science, ecology, philosophy, and altered states of consciousness.

With focused attention, minute spaces illumine evolutionary byproducts and ecological potentials. In the forest, stomata, tiny leaf pores essential for gas exchange, signal life-sustaining transformations.

Symbiotic relationships anchor life on Earth— both small and large-scale complex ecological dependencies: synecology.  How do organisms coexist and flourish collectively? Beyond physical interdependencies, I probe sentience, traditionally viewed through a human-centric lens. Shared consciousness is a broader attribute of life, in systems of nerve cells, plant cells, and ecological networks.

My paintings are visual metaphors for these themes. Peer beyond the canvas into the interconnected webs of life. Colors, textures, and shapes converge, hinting at the unseen networks of energy and information that sustain ecosystems. Like synapses firing, each piece pulses with hidden activity, the unseen forces that sculpt our existence.

Scientific inquiry and artistic expression are complementary paths to understanding the natural world.

This cycle of painting celebrates the beauty of interconnected complexity of existence. I invite a fresh look at the hidden spaces of our world, with the invigorating perspective of awe.

3t Vakil April 2024