Lotus

Shoma: I actually saw this piece in a dream first, and when I woke up it was even clearer, like it was saying paint me. It came before Ganesha and showed me the style for the whole New Earth series. Once I understood the technique, I felt like I had found something I’d been looking for my whole life. I was drawn to the burst of colors and while I was painting it, I started getting these memories that were from a past life, just flashes of joy and color, almost like Holi or stained glass in a cathedral. It reminded me of making art with divided patches of color that came together which made me realize how connected color and joy are. After that walks started to feel different. I’d notice the sun, the birds, the trees, and suddenly my whole day felt like it had new color too.