Artists Registry

Traumatized by the 911 events, I have not touch the subject until several years later. The dominant, persistent theme was a rather striking metaphor. From a distance, in the midst of horror and chaos, the sight of people jumping out of the windows of the towers appeared so serene, evoking a comparison to flower petals. That finally led to creating the “3000 rose petals” image. The background cityscape is generic, shifting the focus on the human experience. It is not an image of defeat. The people soaring in the sky are fearless, in control of every moment that they have left.

At the time of the approaching 10th anniversary of 911, this idea turned into action, scattering 3000 rose petals in the ocean, near Logan International Airport and documenting it in an art form. The video with the same title, “3000 rose petals” is offered to the community free of charge on Youtube. There is no footage of the tragedy, no flag waving, and no “us against them” divisiveness. The focus is on the value of each human life. Tearing the petals from the stems is a subtle reference to the violence against life in bloom. The counting is a reminder that each human being matters. The somber, yet hopeful ceremony of dispersing the petals into the ocean celebrating the beauty and fragility of life is followed by the display of a mournful mosaic of all the victims’ names. In the spirit of the image by the same title, the fearless woman’s depiction concludes the video.

The events of the last decade, shaped by 911, influenced my artistic direction, focusing it more clearly on advocating introspection and self-examination, on a personal, societal and global level. The work evolved from individual pieces (“Becoming”) to epic panoramas (“Waiting for the wake up call” and “The walls belong to us”). The self-published book, “The walls belong to us” includes, in addition to the work, thought provoking comments on the subject matter from a range of individuals – artists, philosophers, brain scientists and ordinary people with extraordinary courage. The book (published on Blurb) is intended to provide endless possibilities of discourse, be it in a classroom or around the coffee table.

With my work experimental in nature, I hope to stimulate the imagination of those touched by it, toward greater understanding and responsibility in creating a peaceful world.