Flames with wings/ Fiamme con le ali

Oil clay lamps have a long history and are still present in many eastern cultures for their spiritual meaning to practical purposes. Leaving soot as a remnant of the flame when lit. The dense black of soot has been a source of ink making for centuries. A material deposition of the incorporeal matter. 

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“A flame burns, light subdues, time passes and material changes.” 

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Vanshika’s research question ‘what remains of what doesn’t remain?’ brings her to explore and trace the materiality of flames. “Flames with wings” is composed of gesso tiles, made with semi-controlled application of soot, and arranged in space as if bringing nature inside through their resemblance to fungi. The work proposes a critical reflection on regeneration, transience and impermanence. By using the ethereal elements the artist instills a harmony between natural and artificial; visible and invisible processes.