Are women and the moon still the center of the universe?
Do nature and women still declare new births, and the arrival of a new spring?
Ancient philosophies symbolically tied the moon, women, and nature together in one concept: the moon is the center of the universe; women are the center of the society.
The moon reflects sunlight, the creative light which is the source of life, and nourishes women during the moments of their intimate existence.It nourishes them with the creative essence which lies deep into the innermost part of their intimate lives.
Through the moon, women perceive their inner microcosms, and take the first steps into their deep interior universes. The moon is where the earth’s secret lies; the earth’s soul and life matter.
From a painter’s aesthetic perspective, I seek a visual equivalent for this ancient legendary relationship, from which I will shape a visual existence that starts with the senses and ends with the mind and soul.
The moonlight that roams the universe is my bridge to reestablish this legendary relationship, as it is the symbolic stairs to climb the distance between women and the moon. The signs and the symbols inside my paintings are the keys to this centuries-old journey, in art and in thought, between the two centers of the universe- women on earth, and the moon in heaven.
The moon in my art? It is a group of moons, born in the heart of the work. They retain the countenance of their birth, and the existential psychological characteristics of the moment which created them. From this time on, the moon is no longer a mere reflector of light; it is the creator of the dream and the symbol of the eternal search for lucidity and purity.
Organically related to my style and my way of handling the raw materials to produce signs and symbols in the painting, my tools carry the secrets of this relationship and soar with them high into the space of the artistic work. Threads and cloth ARE raw materials, but at the same time, they are the building substance of the bridge to the moon. They are the tool that connects the ages, and a sign of the future.
By: Sa’id Costa
KATARA Curator of Visual Arts Exhibitions & Educational Programs