Sarah Strong
M.F.A. Visual Art @sarahstrongart
Koininia
Koininia, the title of my thesis work, is an action word describing the practice of a symbiotic relationship with the sacred through communion with others.
To be alive is to be in relationship. To be human is to seek connection. Through our senses we connect to one another, to the world around us and to the spirit of life itself. Our human experience is an opportunity for sacred relationship. I have found this relationship through the experience and transformation of plant life. A plants life cycle exemplifies the life~death~rebirth process that is our human experience. With intention, I harvest and transform plant fibers, molding them into handmade paper forms. Papermaking is a true alchemical transformation of natural materials utilizing earth, air, fire, and water. Being enveloped in nature provides me an opportunity for powerful reflection, grounding, and inspiration. Communicating and collaborating with the earth I am reminded to breathe more slowly and deeply. I watch the leaves moving with the wind. I see the birds flocking, moving together in unison. I come upon a plethora of examples of the harmony and tension we navigate in our human lives. Koininia bears witness to the natural world as a gateway to sacred relationship.
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