The Path to Paradise

“The Path to Paradise”, like many of my artworks, reflects the movement of the soul. A person’s path begins with the search for support, with that timid attempt to grasp something that might keep you from falling into the abyss. We often walk blindly, in the darkness of our own unknowing, and each step feels as though it is given through a trial- one not always visible to others, yet known to God alone.

The sky in this composition emerged as a kind of promise. I wanted to convey that feeling when you lift your head and your chest grows a little lighter. As I was assembling this work, I could almost physically sense the heaviness dissolving, giving way to transparency.

The concept was born from my impression of a pilgrimage to our sacred site, Beshbarmag. Within its stone “fingers” grows a fig tree- a tree like a soul that has taken flight, finding the strength to rise above circumstances. We are capable of rising, of taking root, of enduring, and one day of blooming where it would seem impossible.

Nature does not create forms resembling sanctuaries by chance. It knows the Path to Paradise -a road that is not somewhere far away, but one that always begins within us. All that remains for me is to follow it and to carry its hidden wisdom into my artworks.