Earth in Water, Water in Fire, Fire in Air

My project juxtaposes the awareness of human mortality with the timelessness of natural cycles. Through photography, I embody this dialogue between the ephemeral and the eternal. Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, particularly the “Tibetan Book of the Dead, ” the project “Earth in Water, Water in Fire, Fire in Air” explores the metaphorical transitional states. These four elements, presented not as static entities but as dynamic stages of transformation, offer a key to understanding the cyclical nature of existence.

The creative act is an attempt to approach the eternity of nature, to understand it, and simultaneously to leave a trace, an imprint of this interaction in the here and now. Ideas arrive as impulses from the outside; my role is to be their conduit, embodying them in visual form. The significance of these ideas is determined by their relevance to the present time, to my life and, possibly, to the lives of those around me; their fate after my transition is a secondary concern. Nature itself, in its continuous movement and transformation (embodied in the contradiction of water and fire), remains the sole carrier of eternity.

My project arises from a deep sense of connection to the world and its processes. I perceive myself not as an isolated creator, but as a participant in a larger whole. Nature is my space for creative exploration and the search for answers. Returning to familiar landscapes, to the eternal elements of water and fire, I become a participant in their dialogue. Each new interaction allows me to re-evaluate both the place and myself, creating a personal cycle of knowledge. Central to this cycle is the mask that appears in the works—like a death cast, it is created from fragments of my own photographs, symbolizing both finitude and rebirth, captured within the very process of creation.

2025