Wilt, fall, root, grow

Zara Tisma’s latest body of work exists as a visual journal: accounting emotional, physical and psychological experiences  that she has encountered over the past 12 months.

Entitled, Wilt Fall Root Grow, the collection of work bares a narrative to the reflective process of using art as therapy. Referencing natural and man-made objects and environments she seeks to find balance between organic and synthetic objects and spaces.  

For this body of work, her drawings reference the environments and objects found within public gardens and greenhouses as these are places that she often visits when she is looking a moment of stillness away from her urban lead lifestyle. Once more she feels a deep connection to these environments and the nature within it as she can relate to cycles of change.

Organic form and balance is something that sits at the heart of Tism’as practise. She starts with what she likes to call a seed of inspiration; a memory, a person, a place or a feeling. Starting small, her work progresses from a single line, mark or dot and organically grows through imaginative mark makings and considered structural lines that are referenced from photographs or long term memories.

Inspired by reflection, development and change, Tisma explores the ideology behind Gaia Theory researched and founded by scientist, environmentalist and futurist James Lovelock. 

Lovelock believed that living organisms build a relationship with their inorganic surroundings to form a an organic, synergistic and self-regulating system to help maintain the earth’s cycle. In short, our existence will always push the natural world to go through essential cycles such as climate change and evolution but we need to understand how we are affecting change so that we can ensure our core life system is sustained. 

Metaphorically, she feels drawn to the theory of perpetual change but the need for grounding and sustainability. As an artist, she appreciates and recognises that her work will journey through natural cycles of change as a result of new environments, people and lifestyle life but like the Gaia Theory, her work will always continue to seek harmony and balance. 

These are her personal accounts of development, growth and change. These are her visions on paper.