Artist48: Sukhi Barber

 

Sukhi Barber has completely immersed herself in the Buddhist philosophy that drives her art and has distilled the principles and practices of this meditative, observant way of life. She spent 12 years in Nepal and India studying the roots and modern iterations of Buddhism and the traditional art of the region. Her work is minimalist, but I wouldn't call it 'spartan'. To me, referring to something as 'spartan' implies some sort of harsh deprivation rather than balance and grace through simplicity. She really lets the viewer's mind do a lot of the work here, asking them to fill in perceptual gaps of negative space. Her artist statement from her website says,"Exploring themes of hidden potentials, and the transcendence of our limiting view of a solid reality, her work often represents the negative space as being as important as the material itself, implying the dance of form and spirit, a constant state of transformation". This creates an ethereal feeling in many of her figures, making the meditaters portrayed in her sculptures appear as wisps, half of the physical world and half not.

I like how thoroughly she immersed herself in her work and her environment...she traveled to an entirely new country and lived there in an effort to understand the subjects she's trying to communicate in her art. This highly experiential inspiration behind her work gives it relevance and authenticity, making it all the more effectual.